A New Twist
by jennieman
Summary: **UPDATED** What happens when the one you thought you hated becomes the thing you cherish the most? And what was once desired is left forgotten?
1. Chapter the First

**A/N: **Well here I am starting another series when I haven't even come close to half way done on Mind Games. Sad I know. But this idea just came to me when I was watching Eye For An Eye the other day, and it made me wonder if I could do this. I have yet to see this pairing so it's gonna be interesting to be the first one writing it. Take a look and see if you can guess. (It shouldn't be too hard ;)). Warning: Crack pairing dead ahead. Enjoy, and oh: please leave a review and tell me what you think.

**A New Twist**

**Chapter The First**

Archie growled in frustration, slamming his locker shut as Atlanta walked down the hall, deep in discussion with her new boyfriend. It was like Pan all over again, only this time Cronus had nothing to do with it. New guy came along, asked her out before Archie had the chance to, again. All because he was chicken shit about losing her, or ruining their relationship. He snorted in annoyance, falling back against the lockers. Now he had lost her, and he had a feeling their relationship wouldn't stay the same. All because you're a fucking idiot Archie, he thought venomously, hand swinging back to punch the locker.

Theresa glanced at him as she opened her locker next to him, then glanced down the hall at Atlanta. She sighed and shoved her books onto the shelf. Looked like she and Archie were in the same boat. Not that Jay had a girlfriend, oh no, not Jay. Not their over serious, we-must-defeat-Cronus-no-matter-what, leader Jay. He wouldn't have time for one, of course. Nor would he bother to notice that maybe, just maybe, there was somebody interested in him. Specifically her. She frowned as he walked towards them, a girl next to him. Meryl, from his Family Studies class. They were doing parenting and the two had been assigned together. Her frown deepened as they laughed, Meryl holding the fake plastic baby doll. Just because he didn't have time for a girlfriend didn't mean he didn't flirt like any other boy.

Archie glanced down at her as she slammed her locker, following her line of vision. Great, I'm not the only one pissed off, he thought sarcastically, glaring down at the floor. Theresa huffed in annoyance beside him as Meryl walked off to her next class, Jay coming to join them.

"Hey guys. What's up?" he asked cheerfully, blissfully unaware of the surging emotions hidden behind their calm exteriors. Theresa fought the urge to glare at him, and put on a blank face as she greeted him.

"Hey Jay. We were just on our way to class. Don't want to be late, right Arch?" she asked calmly, glancing back at the sullen boy, an eyebrow raised in expectation. He smirked back at them and shoved off his locker, books under one arm.

"Course not Theresa, wouldn't wanna damage our perfect attendance now would we?" he snorted, turning to leave. "See ya later Jay."

Their walk was silent as both were lost in their own thoughts, mulling over days passed and hopes lost. Twin sighs escaped them, and Theresa gave Archie a rueful glance, earning a grim half smirk in return, a brief glimmer of heartache in his eyes. It disappeared as quickly as it came though, his gaze returning to the floor in front of him as they reached their classroom, quietly going to their seats next to each other. They were taking Family Studies that semester as well, with Neil in their class too.

Class started, continuing as it normally did, not that either Theresa or Archie noticed what was happening, both too lost in thought. Archie sighed quietly, eyes focused on his sketchbook and the half completed drawing of Atlanta he had started earlier in the week. He found now that he couldn't bring himself to finish it, but he couldn't rip it apart either, much as he was tempted to. He scowled at the charcoal face of his best friend, wanting to be angry with her, angry that it wasn't him who had her wrapped in his arms, receiving that warm gaze and a sweet kiss. But he couldn't be. Who was he to deny her happiness, even if he wasn't the one bringing it to her?

Theresa leaned on her desk, cheek in hand, staring blankly at Neil's head in front of her. What was it about Jay that had attracted her in the first place anyways? She thought. Sure he was good looking. But hell, if that was all she wanted, she may as well go after the descendant of Narcissus. But what else. Maybe it was the fact that he was responsible. A charming quality in someone their age, undoubtedly, at least from her female perspective. Was it enough though? She needed someone who could challenge her, push her to the edge, but pull her back before she could fall. And she wanted Jay to be that someone.

"Archie and Theresa." Their teacher's voice broke them both out of wandering thoughts, flushing guiltily, eyes darting frantically to each others. Were they caught daydreaming? Damn, thought Archie. Just what we need.

"Congratulations on your nuptials. Will one of you please take the assignment folder," the teacher continued in a bored tone, motioning to the front desk. Theresa let out the breath she had been holding and stood to retrieve the folder. She had forgotten that they would be starting the "marriage" part of class that day. She raised an eyebrow as she walked back to her desk. Great, she thought, me and Archie, married. Oh joy. She glanced down at his desk, noticing the open sketchbook, and the charcoal drawing of Atlanta, and frowned slightly.

Archie noticed her glance, and shut the book roughly, Theresa's eyes shooting up to meet his. They stared for a moment, his eyes fierce and wounded, hers cool and searching. Her eyes softened and she looked away, opening their folder quietly to start their assignment. Neil turned around in his seat and smirked at the two.

"Man, I can't believe the two of you got stuck together. You can't even stand working in groups together, how are you going to manage a marriage?" he remarked snidely, earning twin glares from the two. Archie threw a wadded up ball of paper at his face, Neil shrieking and ducking.

"Shut up Neil. It's a fake marriage first of all, and it's only for the next few weeks. I'm sure I'll live," Archie snorted. "Even if I am paired with the resident drama queen."

"You know, you're no picnic either Arch," Theresa sighed, rubbing her temples. She could feel a migraine coming on already. She passed him a worksheet and pulled out a pen. "Let's just get this over with, and then we can both go back to our own little worlds in which we don't piss each other off, okay?"

"What fantasy world are you living in Theresa?" Archie scoffed, shaking his head. " 'Cause I don't think it exists."

"Archie…" she growled warningly, shooting him an annoyed look. "Honestly, you make it sound like we do nothing but fight, which isn't true. It is possible for us to get along, if we try."

"Key word being 'try', Theresa, and I'm really not in the mood," he smirked, still glaring at the redhead currently annoying him. What was it with the redheads in his life and pissing him off?

"Well I don't really give a shit what kind of mood you're in, we have a project to work on together, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let you mess it up," she snarled at the purple haired object of her frustration. He leaned over to her, his fierce gaze burning into hers. She held his gaze with a glare of her own, unwilling to look away and give him the satisfaction of having any power over her. The glaring continued, noses inches away from each other. A sudden cough broke their concentration and their heads whipped around to face Neil. He gave them an amused look and raised an eyebrow.

"Gee, you guys are managing so well already," he snickered. Theresa sighed in defeat and let her head fall to the desktop with a satisfying 'thunk', hair enshrouding her, hiding her face from the boys, for which she was grateful. Her nose wrinkled, tears of frustration and pain clouding her eyes. She desperately tried to blink them away, annoyed that they had even appeared in the first place. Tumultuous thoughts swirled in her mind, thoughts of frustration, of anger, with an overwhelming urge to simply scream at the world. Between her unresolved feelings for the ever oblivious Jay, and Archie taking out his frustration on her, she had a feeling the next few weeks were not going to be pleasant. She sniffled lightly, reaching a hand up to wipe away a stray tear. Shaking her head at herself, Theresa sat up, blinking wearily at the page in front of her, grabbing a pen almost listlessly.

Archie glanced over at her and blinked, noticing her glassy eyes and the way she rubbed her cheek. What the-Aw shit, I made her cry? Great, Archie thought sourly, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. Now she's probably gonna tell Jay or Atlanta, and then I'm gonna get yelled at for making a girl cry…good thing my mother's not here. He kept his eyes trained on her, facing forward so she wouldn't notice his staring. He watched as she stared down at the page in front of her, and wondered if she was even seeing it. He narrowed his eyes. She's out of it, he thought, as another tear rolled down a fair cheek, unnoticed by its owner. Archie nibbled his lower lip, wondering if he should say something. Like what Arch? Apologize to her? Like she wasn't being a bitch too, he thought, still watching her.

She sighed suddenly, covering her eyes briefly with one hand. Reaching down to her purse, she swiftly retrieved a small bottle and removed two green pills from the inside. She tossed it back in her purse and downed the pills in one gulp. Archie blinked again as Theresa leaned back in her seat, eyes closed, fingers pinching the bridge of her nose. He glanced back at his desk, and then to her once more. He leaned over slightly.

"Hey. You okay?" he asked quietly, not wanting Neil to bother them again. Theresa cracked open one eye to look at him and, sighing, nodded. Both eyes opened and she turned to face him, wanting to just work on their project. "You sure?"

"Yes Archie, I'll be fine. Let's just get this started okay?" she said through clenched teeth, willing herself not to just bolt out of her seat to seek the cool reassurance and comfort of someplace dark. Surprisingly, Archie decided not to argue with her anymore, and the remainder of class was spent quietly working on their "marriage". When the bell finally rang, Archie couldn't help but notice the shudder that ran through Theresa's small frame, or the grimace of pain still lingering on her face. He followed as she swiftly made her way through the halls to their lockers, wondering just what her problem was. At least she's not being her usual drama queen self, he thought thankfully. Still…it's not like her to hide stuff...added to the fact that she wasn't making it all seem like some big deal…Weird. He decided to himself that he would solve this riddle before the day was out. Unfortunately when he looked over at Theresa's locker again it was closed and she was halfway down the hall, headed in the opposite direction of the cafeteria.

"Hey Arch. What's wrong with Theresa? You didn't make her angry again did you?" Herry asked in concern, small frown on his face. Archie shook his head and slammed his locker shut.

"Dunno Herry. Catch ya later," he said, taking off after Theresa. He was determined to find out what was up with her. He followed stealthily behind her and was intrigued to see her dart into the library. Exactly where he had been planning to go for lunch, sick of seeing Atlanta and Damien (her boyfriend) together anymore than necessary. She went straight to the very back, losing herself amongst the dark recesses of shelves and antiquated books. Nobody ever went back there, so she was sure she would be left in peace. Settling down into a chair, she pulled her feet up underneath her, allowing her head to sink down softly, hair swinging forward. Finally she let the tears fall from her eyes, a silent cascade of pain. No thoughts swirled through her mind now; they were far too loud.

"You're in my spot ya know." Theresa's head snapped up and Archie blinked in shock. She _was_ crying. Badly. Tears streamed unchecked down pale cheeks, eyes hazed over and unfocused. He sat, unsettled, across from her and gave a worried look. Her face was paler than normal, dark circles hinting under her eyes. "Damn Theresa, what's wrong? You obviously aren't fine, so don't try giving me that crap again."

"And you care because?" she spat, voice strangled and thick as she closed her eyes once more. Stupid Archie, ruining her peace and quiet.

"Look, I'm sorry about earlier. I'm just pissed off right now. I'm also, ya know… your friend, so…I'm kinda…worried about you. You don't strike me as the secret keeping, pill popping type," he smirked uneasily. She raised her head slightly to look at him, watching him watching her with that steady gaze. She sighed and laid her head down on the cool wood of the table. She would never understand Archie. One minute he's the bane of her existence, pissing her off like no other…well, maybe except for Neil….and the next he was following after her to make sure she was okay, while nobody else noticed.

"I have a migraine alright?" she whispered mournfully, small hands clenched next to her cheek.

"Oh," was his only reply.

"Yes, now can you please leave me alone in my misery?" she trembled, black spots impeding her vision. She felt relieved when she heard his chair move back, thankful he was actually listening for once. She closed her eyes gratefully and sighed. Two seconds later, a frown was once again on her face as Archie laughed quietly.

"There's my drama queen. Like I said, you had me worried," he murmured, taking a seat next to her. She was about to snap at him when she felt cool fingers rubbing her temples. Her eyes fluttered open in confusion, and she sat up slowly, his fingers never leaving her. She gave him a curious look, eyes silently asking her question for her. He flushed, grateful they were alone and it was dark.

"My mom used to get migraines too," he shrugged, not caring to explain further. Theresa smiled softly and leaned into his cool hands, eyes closing once more, letting the pain slowly fade. "You get them a lot?"

"Not really, no. They just started lately and never usually this bad. I guess I've just been really frustrated, ya know?" she mumbled, leaning closer.

"Jay?" he guessed, earning a small nod and a sniffle from the girl in his hands. "Ya, I guess I do know. Have to say, never thought I'd ever admit to having something in common with you though."

"Aside from the fact that we're both really redheads? Same here," Theresa laughed lightly, wiping away a few stray tears. Archie had to smile, glad she was no longer crying. Even if Theresa annoyed him to no end, he couldn't stand seeing a girl cry. They stayed quiet for a few minutes, mulling over separate thoughts as Archie continued to gently rub her temples.

"I could hit him for ya, if you want. Really hard too," Archie suggested, earning a real laugh from Theresa. The pretty girl sat up straight, eyes opening and she gave him a bright smile, a trace of fatigue in her otherwise twinkling eyes.

"Aww, when did you get so sweet Arch?" she teased quietly. He leaned back with a smirk, arms folded across his chest.

"Yeah, yeah, just don't go telling anyone, alright?" he asked plaintively. "I don't want to ruin my reputation."

"Of what? Being a jackass?" she retorted.

"What else?" he grinned smugly. She shook her head and leaned back in her chair, the once throbbing migraine now just a dull ache behind her eyes. She yawned as she regarded Archie with half-lidded eyes, curious as to why he had felt compelled to make her feel better. Not that she was complaining. It was nice to have someone to do that. She frowned. She just wished it would have been Jay, that maybe he would come to his senses as far as she was concerned. A sudden thought came to her, her insides twisting in cold agony.

"Maybe he just doesn't feel the same way," she whispered, eyes filling with tears again. Archie looked up from the book he had grabbed, nose wrinkling in confusion. She was crying again? Why?

"You thinking about Jay again?" he asked, earning a watery nod from her. He sighed and scratched his cheek. Headaches he could handle. An emotional girl? No way. Ah damn, he thought, guess I better try at least. "Hey, listen…um…so what if he doesn't like you? Fuck him, right? I mean, what kind of normal guy has a pretty girl in front of him and constantly ignores her?"

"I guess…but, what with Cronus and all…" Theresa sniffled uncertainly. Archie snorted derisively.

"Oh come on Theresa. We're all worried about Cronus winning, but nobody takes it to the extent that Jay does. Especially after our last encounter with him," Archie reminded her. She frowned, remembering their last fiasco. She and Odie had both been hurt, enough to leave a scar trailing down her back. Until that day, she had been sure that Jay returned her tentative feelings, or was at least interested in her. But afterwards….after, he had just seemed to start drifting away from her, focusing on Cronus. "He like, lives, eats and breathes Cronus nowadays. It's like an obsession. Kinda creepy if you ask me. Anyways….you shouldn't defend him Theresa."

"Like you do Atlanta?" she shot back, anger filling her once more. Who was Archie to pass judgement on her? Or her feelings, and the one she had those feelings for, for that matter? She didn't ask him to follow her and start sprouting all these words of wisdom to her, like he knew what the hell he was talking about.

"Shit, I was just trying to make you feel better. I can see now, that it obviously wasn't appreciated," he hissed, mindful of the fact they were still in the library.

"Nor warranted," she snapped back. They glared at each other, tension filling the air between them. Minutes ticked by, and Theresa could feel her anger subsiding, being slowly replaced with a hint of guilt. Gods, she was no better than him, snapping like that. She looked away, ashamed under that steely gaze. "I'm sorry."

"Huh?" Archie had been so lost in his thoughts, that he had nearly forgotten why he was pissed off in the first place. And here it was, apologizing to him.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you. I shouldn't have said that to you Archie. And…thank you. For making me feel better. For being concerned enough to actually come after me," she murmured, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks. She couldn't believe how big of a bitch she had been to him. Or how emotional she was being today. She had cried three times already. Three times! She wiped at her damp cheeks, feeling suddenly exhausted from all the emotions swirling through her, and from the earlier pain of her headache. She just wanted to go home and go to bed. Forget this day even happened. Forget this whole past year has even happened, she thought bitterly, closing her eyes.

"Ah, forget about it. You're right though. If I wasn't such an idiot…."Archie murmured, staring into nothing. Theresa's comment had hit home. He had been after Atlanta for so long….and she had never even noticed, never even thought of him as more than her best friend, constant companion whenever she wanted to do something. He had always tagged along with her, not wanting to let her out of his sight, needing to be near her. And for what? Absolutely nothing, because she would never notice him in that light, and he was too big of a coward to try and change that. Maybe he should try and take his own advice for once. Forget about her, forget he ever felt anything but friendship for her. Besides, once Cronus was defeated, they'd most likely be going their separate ways. Not like they could stay together, with her in the Northwest Territories and him in Philadelphia. No matter how much he wanted them to.

"This sucks!" Theresa's sudden outburst startled him out of his thoughts, and he refocused on her as she gave the table a vicious kick, a loud squeal of protest coming from its wooden feet.

"Shit," Archie swore softly, hearing the familiar clip clopping of the librarian's shoes as she came to investigate the noise. He quickly dove under the table, dragging Theresa with him. She squeaked in surprise as she found herself deposited into his lap, their bodies pressed against the wall, hidden in the dark shadows. He shushed her quietly as a stockinged pair of feet came into view. They waited a few tense moments, breath held and bodies rigidly huddled together, before the feet turned back from the way they came, disappearing quickly. Both released their breath in a huff of relief, and Theresa let her body relax back against Archie, head falling back against his shoulder. She gave a soft, bitter laugh.

"I'm just messing everything up today aren't I?" she asked, head turning slightly to look at him, barely making out his profile in the dim light under the table. He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, head resting against hers for a split second.

"Nah. Today just sucks," Archie nodded. He regarded the girl in his lap for a moment, debating the wisdom of what he would say next. "Hey Theresa. You really wanna go to class this afternoon?"

"Nope. Not at all. I've got English with Jay next period. Why?" she sighed, shifting around to face him. He gave her a patented Archie smirk.

"Me neither. Wanna cut class with me? It's no fun alone," he suggested hopefully. She raised her eyebrows at him as they climbed out from under the table, incredulous expression on her face.

"You actually want to spend more time with me today? Are you feeling alright?" she joked, reaching up to feel his forehead. He brushed her hand away, walking back towards the entrance.

"Yes, believe it or not. Hurry up, before I come to my senses and realize the folly of my mistake," he told her sarcastically, glancing over his shoulder. She beamed and darted after him. They quickly left the school, heading for Theresa's car. Revving the engine, Theresa looked over at Archie.

"You know, Jay's gonna know something's up when I don't show up for English," she pointed. Archie raised an eyebrow.

"Your point?" he asked. She laughed and pulled out of the parking lot.

"You're right. Like you said: Fuck him if he can't have some fun," Theresa laughed, slipping on her shades as they headed downtown.


	2. Chapter the Second

**A/N: **Alrighty well, chapter two, here we go. Umm, rated for naughty language and a teensy bit of violence. Thanks to Nina542 for her suggestion, I hope this makes it easier to read. And yaa…..not much else to say, except a big fat THANK YOU! To everyone who has reviewed and wants more! I love you all! I'm glad you like it, and I must say I was surprised by all the people who love the idea of Archie and Theresa getting together! You guys are gonna keep this story going! So without further ado, I present chapter two. Enjoy ;)

**A New Twist**

**Chapter the Second**

Theresa laughed at the look of concentration on Archie's face, effectively breaking it. The screen flashed an obnoxious 'Game Over', and Archie turned to glare at his giggling companion.

"Ya know, that's the third time you've done that. Just what the hell is so damn funny?" he huffed. Her laughing was quickly losing him quarters. Theresa shook her head.

"I'm sorry Archie. But you're concentrating so hard that your tongue pokes out of the corner of your mouth!" Theresa laughed even harder, the image forever burned into her mind. Archie scowled at her. Grabbing her shaking shoulders, he spun her around and gave a little push.

"Go play your own games Theresa. You're too distracting to be around," he grumbled. She glanced back at him and gave him a wink.

"I am, aren't I?" she joked, hand on her hip. Archie rolled his eyes at her. "I'll leave you alone for the time being. I'm gonna go try the Jurassic Park one."

He nodded and watched her bounce off to the other side of the arcade. The arcade in the mall was his usual hangout when skipping class, so he had decided to introduce Theresa to all the glory it held. It would have been fine if she wasn't so damn distracting. Always laughing when he was trying to win. Geez. Women. Ares was right when he called them annoying distractions that only served to ruin good warriors…well maybe not completely right. But damn close.

_After all_, Archie thought bitterly, _look how I'm acting over Atlanta. I should forget about her, move on. Greener pastures and all that. But do I? No, of course not. I let it get to me, festering under my skin, rotting me to the very core. Making me so angry that I snap like a wounded animal at everyone around me, and then get even angrier when they snap back. Like Theresa._

He admitted, Theresa annoyed the hell out of him most of the time, and they didn't get along very well. But when push came to shove, she gave as good as she got, and then some. He had to respect that fact, and the fact that she could probably kick his ass in a fair fight. A fair fight mind. A street fight though…hmmm….now there was an intriguing thought.

One that was sadly interrupted by sudden shouting and a loud crash. Archie quickly made his way across the arcade; he recognized one of those shouting voices, and it definitely belonged to Theresa. He pushed through the frightened crowd that had formed a sort of barrier around the brawlers, and immediately jumped into the fray. Theresa was outnumbered five giant dirt bags to one little her. Archie grinned viciously as he slammed a fist across one unsuspecting thug's face. Definitely not a fair fight. But just what he needed to take his aggression out on.

The guy he hit went flying into another one standing in front of Theresa, both crashing to the ground in a tangled heap. Theresa spared Archie a quick glance, and was rewarded with an all too cocky grin. She rolled her eyes as she smashed her foot into someone's face. _Typical arrogant Archie_, she thought, _always thinking he's gonna come out on top. And not just on top, but so far on top that nobody else is worth mentioning_. _Honestly, someday he's gonna get himself hurt, or worse killed. Not that he would care, so long as he went out with a bang. And he calls me the drama queen. Pfft. Warriors and their heroic ends._

"Theresa!" Archie's shout of warning interrupted her thoughts as she snapped back into focus just in time to be caught with a powerful backhand across her jaw. Using the momentum to her advantage, she spun her body around completely, catching her assaulter with a roundhouse to the temple, knocking him to the ground. Still stunned from the impact, she fell to one knee. Glancing up through hazy eyes, she noticed the last of the five charging at her. She quickly dropped into the splits and landed a vicious punch right in the family jewels. He went down with an undignified squeal of pain. Archie winced, making a mental note to not fight Theresa unless it **_was_** a fair fight. She fought too dirty for his tastes.

Theresa sat on the floor catching her breath as people around her clapped and shouted, some outraged at the display, others impressed. A hand invaded her vision and she looked up at Archie. He frowned down at her and hauled her to her feet, propelling her to the back door.

"We better get outta here before the cops show up. Not to mention we've got practice with Ares," he mumbled the last part as they got into Theresa's car. He glanced at her, noting that her jaw was starting to swell and bruise. Her bottom lip had split in the corner, a thin trail of blood running to her chin. "You okay to drive? That looked like a pretty hard hit."

"I've had worse," she grinned, adrenaline still pumping through her veins. She floored the gas, not wanting to be late for Ares. "Though I'm definitely gonna need some ice and more Advil."

"The hell got you so distracted anyways? He should never have landed that hit in the first place," Archie snorted, annoyance returning to him now that he was reassured of her condition. Theresa flushed and scowled.

"None of your business," she snapped in embarrassment, not wanting to tell him that he was the one distracting her. She was a fighter for gods' sake, she shouldn't have been distracted. Archie was right, as much as it pained her to mentally admit that fact.

"Please don't tell me it was Jay," Archie said in disgust. Theresa glared at him as she pulled into the school parking.

"I said it was none of your business, and I meant it. Okay?" she shot back, angry at herself and now at Archie once more. He scoffed as they entered the school. _Probably was thinking about Jay,_ he thought sullenly. _Stupid. Thinking about some guy who ignores her in the middle of a fight. The hell is wrong with her? She could have been seriously hurt, and then I would have gotten in deep shit. I will as is, considering all the different colours her face is currently turning. Added to the fact that we were supposed to be in class when it happened. The hell is her problem?_

"The hell is your problem?" he voiced his last thought angrily as they entered the janitor's closet, door slamming behind them. Theresa gave him an incredulous look.

"Excuse me? What's _my_ problem? What's _your_ problem, acting like you have a stick shoved up your ass?" she retorted quickly, stomping away from him. He glared at the back of her head and quickly caught up to the small girl.

"My problem is you getting into a fight and then losing your mind in the middle of it! I mean, it was a good thing I was there, otherwise those guys would have mopped the floor with you, the way you were daydreaming," he snarled, slamming the gym doors open, startling the rest of their team. "And now I'm gonna get blamed for your stupidity."

"My stupidity! I'm sorry, but it was your idea in the first place!" Theresa shrieked angrily, hands fisted at her sides as she glared at Archie, currently walking away from her. She stomped after him, ignoring the looks of bewildered concern on her team-mates faces. "Not to mention I'm a big girl Archie, not some fucking damsel in distress. I would have been fine without you!"

"Oh yeah, you look just fine!" he spat, whirling around to face her. He trembled with anger as it coursed red hot through his veins, glaring furiously down at the little spitfire in front of him. He noticed Atlanta coming towards them out of the corner of his eye, an ice pack in her hands. She was ignored as the pack was pressed gently to Theresa's jaw, a small muttered thanks coming from the injured redhead.

"Well I am fine! It's your fault I got hurt in the first place!" she yelled up at him, noticing Jay now walking over to them. Fury bubbled up inside of her.

"The fuck? _My_ fault? Oh hell no, you did not just say that! If I hadn't jumped in you'd probably be in the back of an ambulance somewhere," he snarled down at her, their bodies inches from each other.

"HA! That's exactly _why _it's your fault! For jumping in to _my_ fight and distracting me from what I was doing! Why can't you just mind your own goddamn business!" she spat, sensing that this argument was about to take a new turn in direction as Jay reached them, Atlanta still hovering behind her.

"Well maybe I could if your weren't such a fucking DRAMA QUEEN!" Archie yelled, hands gripping her shoulders tightly. Theresa took no notice of it though, nor that the ice pack had slipped to the floor. She balled a fist tightly in his shirt, pulling him down to her eye level.

"Funny, coming from a _good for nothing, nosy _GLORY HOG like you!" she cried, his eyes reflecting the same surge of hatred that she was feeling. He shoved her away roughly and spun to leave.

"Fuck you, you ungrateful little bitch!" he shouted, stomping into the courtyard.

"I hate you!" she screamed after him, inexplicable tears pricking at her eyes and threatening to fall.

"Theresa? What happened?" came Jay's quiet voice. Her head snapped over to him, and he nearly recoiled at the look of pure fury in her eyes.

"Boys! Why are you all so fucking stupid!" she cried, tearing away from Atlanta to run out the second set of doors, heading to Persephone's solarium.

"…O-kaaay….What just happened?" Neil was the first to break the tremulous silence that had fallen over the remaining five. Jay let out a shaky sigh and shook his head.

"Nothing good, that's for sure," he said, eyes darting between the doors and the courtyard. Atlanta put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed comfortingly.

"I'll go find Theresa, see what happened," she said, slipping quietly away from the group to search for one of her incensed best friends.

"I'll go find Archie. Knowing him, he'll need to blow off a lot of steam," Herry frowned, walking to the courtyard. Jay nodded and turned to the remaining two.

"Ares isn't going to be too happy," he sighed. Neil and Odie gave half-hearted, 'what are you gonna do' shrugs, and went to sit on the bleachers. Jay followed, rubbing the back of his head wearily. _Great,_ he thought, _just what we need right now. Two of our best fighters fighting each other like cats and dogs. That's just the type of weakness Cronus would love to expose, the bastard. If only those two could get along, work together. They've done it before, why is it so hard for them now? They looked ready to seriously hurt each other, the fury in their eyes…and I've **never** heard Theresa use that kind of language before. Just what is going on? And how the hell did Theresa get hurt in the first place? _

Half of him wanted to find Archie and demand to know why Theresa was hurt, if they'd been in a fight. And if so, why hadn't they called the rest of the team? Sure, Archie could be stubborn and obstinate, but he would usually call for backup when trouble showed up. For him to not…and to let Theresa get hurt…like she had last time. Jay's fists clenched as he thought back to that day.

Cronus had shown up as per usual, some crazy monster attacking them while he stood there laughing manically. And as per usual they fought the monster, calling out threats to Cronus. Except Odie had gotten a little too close to Cronus, and the god decided to take a swipe at him with a scythe. A well placed kick landed Odie in a pile of sharp rocks, ribs cracking at the impact. Theresa saw Cronus raise the scythe as Odie struggled to get up and had thrown herself in front of Odie. The blade had easily cut through the thin material of her shirt, then through her skin, and the taut muscles along her back.

He could still hear her scream of pain in his dreams sometimes, picture the blood flowing freely down her back, staining her hair a darker red, dripping sickeningly to the ground. She had kicked the god back viciously, dragging Odie out of the rocks and back to the group. Picking up her abandoned nun chucks, she had continued to fight, much to Jay's dismay. A slash here and a taser burn there, and the beast was defeated, Cronus slinking back through his damn portal. He remembered how she had swayed on her feet, face white as chalk as blood continued to pour freely out of her body. Drip, drip, drip came the sickening sound. He had caught her as she fell and, picking her up, ran to the truck, fear singing in his veins as her bloodied hair stuck to his arm.

Jay shook his head, rousing himself from his memories. He couldn't let himself be distracted by thoughts of her. _Because if I was….and she was hurt again because of it….or killed….how could I ever live? So long as she's alive and well….even if it means pushing her away…I have to, no matter how much it hurts. _He stood quickly as Atlanta slinked back into the room, a look of dismay on her face. She quickly crossed over to them, shaking her head.

"Sorry Jay, she's too mad right now. I think it's best if Persephone handles her right now. Pots were breaking right, left and centre when I went in there, things flying all over the place. Gods, I'm surprised she didn't maim Archie with her mind while they were in here," Atlanta sighed, plopping down on the bench next to Neil. He raised an eyebrow.

"She can do that?" he shuddered.

"If she's mad enough," Atlanta shrugged, bracing herself as a thundering crash shook the building. "See?"

Neil looked shaken, his eye twitching ungracefully as he lay on the floor in a heap. Jay and Odie exchanged incredulous glances, before looking at Atlanta.

"That came from Theresa? Since when can she do…whatever it was she just did…with her mind?" Jay demanded of her. Atlanta squirmed and gave a small shrug.

"I dunno…awhile? Look, Jay, I know you're thinking of some plan for Cronus' demise, but it won't work. When she gets this mad…which isn't very often…her powers get way out of control. She doesn't have enough focus to use them properly. So forget about it," she frowned at her leader. He sighed and sat next to her. _Well there goes the idea of keeping her tucked safely in the back lines of combat._ They all looked up and groaned as Ares entered the gym, raising an eyebrow as the floor shook again from another crash. He snorted with annoyance and turned to the teens.

"That witch of yours lose her temper?" he scoffed, shaking his head. _Women._

"She's not a witch," Atlanta spat, worried about both Theresa and Archie. Ares shrugged.

"May as well be with all that Persephone is teaching her. And where are Archie and Herry?" he demanded, turning to Jay. He sighed.

"In the courtyard most likely. Theresa and Archie got into a bit of trouble and came back fighting like animals. I think they're both blowing off a bit of steam right now," he explained. Ares grumbled in annoyance and stormed over to the courtyard. Jay was right, Herry and Archie were both there, Archie using Herry as a punching bag, Herry barely noticing as he tried to get the boy to talk.

"BOY!" Ares roared, gaining their attention. "Get your ass in here, you've got training. Which you need, by the looks of it."

That said, he turned and left for Persephone's solarium, Archie and Herry quietly entering the gym behind him. Herry took a seat next to Jay, giving a small shake of his head. Archie stood at the end of the bench, arms crossed obstinately, a frown set firmly on his face. They stayed quiet for a minute, waiting for Ares to return, tension thick in the air. The doors burst open, Ares dragging a shrieking, swearing Theresa into the gym by one arm.

"Damn it Ares, let go of me! You stupid fucking men, think you know everything!" she screamed, sparks of blue, lightning like energy flickering across her skin. The group shifted uncomfortably at her appearance, fearing an explosive outcome. Archie snorted derisively. _Fucking Drama Queen._

"Archie! Into the centre. NOW!" Ares roared, still dragging Theresa. She growled and swung a fist at the god of war. It was caught easily and Ares threw her into the centre of the room, opposite Archie. "You two have problems? I don't care! You want to take your anger out on someone? Take it out on each other! Kill each other for all I care, just get it over with quickly so we can get back to business!"

Eyebrows were raised all around at this exclamation, a worried frown on many faces. Theresa smirked at the god of war.

"Gladly!" she spat, spinning rapidly, fist heading straight for Archie's face. He caught it, throwing her away as he spun. Planting a hand on the floor, she flipped and, using her feet as a springboard when she landed, flew back to Archie, determined to get a hit in. He caught her hand again, but was caught off guard as she gripped his wrist and yanked down, foot coming straight up to meet his face. He flew back, landing roughly on his back, blood dripping down his chin. He snarled as he got up, hating that smug little smirk she wore. Oh she was gonna pay.

He charged at her, fists swinging and connecting with a painful crack. He swept her feet out from under her, one handed planted on her collar bone to keep her pinned. She growled and kicked him in the temple, shoving him off of her. They scrambled back to their feet, panting with exertion.

"Come on Princess, is that the best you've got?" Archie smirked, hoping to taunt her into making a mistake. "Or are you just being your usual drama queen self and throwing a tantrum? Sorry to say, but Daddy's not here to buy something and make it all better."

"Fuck you Archie," she spat, the air around her crackling dangerously as the blue lightning flickered out from her body, reaching towards his. She clenched her fists, trying to concentrate the power there. "You talk too fucking much."

She growled and charged at him, tendrils of energy leaking out to sear his body. He hissed as one caught him across the cheek. It burned! He jumped away from her, frowning. This was dangerous territory he was entering now, not that his pride would let him stop. He had to finish this fight quickly, without getting too close to her.

"Damn it!" he cursed as she knocked him down, rolling to the side as her fist came swinging down at him. Getting to his feet, he could only stare in astonishment at the brand new crater in the floor, Theresa's fist in the centre of it. She looked up at him, quickly moving to attack once more. Archie shifted to the side as she neared him, his knee flying up and catching her dead in the stomach. Pushing forward, she flew across the floor, landing in a heap across the room. Jay sprang up, ready to demand that they stop immediately, grimacing at the sound of her wheezing coughs as she fought for breath. Archie turned to leave the floor, disgusted look on his face.

"Che. Pathetic," he sneered, assuming the fight was over.

"Who you… calling pathetic…Princess," Theresa panted behind him. He spun in surprise and lost his breath as she got in her final hit. He screamed in pain, falling to the ground in a heap as she kneed him in the groin, her body crumpling with his. Archie lay on his side, whimpering in pain, knees drawn up to his chest. Theresa coughed and panted, holding her stomach, eyes closed in pain.

"You…you fucking…bitch," Archie moaned, tears pricking his eyes. That was a low blow, literally. She opened her eyes to look at him, a look of exhaustion and deep sorrow on her face. The air remained still around her, no more lightning flickering, her body too exhausted to sustain the energy any longer. She slowly dragged herself up, standing on shaking knees.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered, hunched over her bruised stomach. Tears bean to fall from her clouded eyes, and she shakily made her way out of the room, ignoring calls from her companions as she ran. Ran from it all, all the pain, confusion, sadness and anger. Ran as fast as she could, back to the solarium, leaving her wounded companion lying on the floor, the rest standing bewildered at what had just happened. She ran from them. But she couldn't run from her own turbulent mind.


	3. Chapter the Third

-1A/N: Okay, chapter three, woot! Can't believe it! Well this isn't a very exciting chapter, mainly it's focusing on thoughts and feelings. Theresa talks to Hades and Archie talks to, well, himself. Hope everyone likes it, and can understand it, it gets kinda weird in some areas. Constructive criticism is always welcome and thanks so much to everyone who's reviewed. Parker and princessofyourownworld I hope this satisfies you, lol. On with the show!

**A New Twist**

**Chapter the Third**

Theresa burst into the empty solarium, hot tears pouring fiercely down pale cheeks. She stumbled towards the Horae, collapsing at their feet as they sprang to life, panting desperately. Gulping for breath, she struggled to her feet, a look of fear on her face.

"Please," she begged them. "Let me through."

The four exchanged a worried glance and obliged the girl, parting silently, watching as she half ran, half tumbled down into the dark recesses of the Underworld. With a collective sigh they closed the passage way, once again becoming nothing more than a pretty painting. They would inform Persephone of the matter when she returned.

Theresa ran, stumbling down the dark passage, lungs burning as they begged for relief. She ran as the tunnel grew lighter, the grove coming into sight. Her legs burned, stomach aching as she dragged her trembling body to lay at the foot of Persephone's statue. She lay her forehead on the cool marble, hair enshrouding her as she let her emotions overtake her, body heaving with desperate sobs. She didn't understand why she was so upset, why so many feelings were swirling through her body in that moment. All she knew was that it hurt, in a way that physical pain could never match. A hurt so deep it left her feeling hollowed inside, a darkness enshrouding her mind as it sought refuge where there was none to be found. And so she cried.

Archie groaned as he leaned over, elbows resting on his knees. He sat on a bench, ice pack resting gingerly in his lap. Well, that fight had been a mistake and a half. Jay looked ready to kill him, not that Archie gave a shit. Atlanta looked like she couldn't decide between being pissed off and worried senseless. Ares had demanded they get started on training, saying that 'a witch with a temper like her was of no use to him', and they would work without Theresa or Archie that day. They could find her later. Archie shook his head. Well, he had his answer as to how she would do in a street fight. She would still kick ass and take names. He closed his eyes and sighed, sitting back carefully. Now that he had calmed down, he could think more clearly on the situation, and just what happened.

_**Okay Archie, let's review what happened, shall we? Theresa gets into a fight, Zeus knows how. So, perfect opportunity for you to kick some ass, relieve a little stress. Not the best way, but it works. So, little miss stuck up gets all distracted **(probably by Jay, the idiot who doesn't know a good thing even when he's losing it) **and gets hit**. And hit hard. Got to admit, it was surprising that she managed to pull a back roundhouse out of that, and not just fall. Tough girl. **But that's beside the point, Archie. **The point…what was the point? _

_**The point is that for once you were being nice to her, and she got pissed off at you for absolutely no reason**. Gods, she's annoying! So maybe I shouldn't have assumed she was thinking about Jay, but considering earlier in the library…it seemed logical at the time…Not to mention, those guys were pretty big. Herry sized. She really could have been hurt, and not just in the beaten up sense either. Any guy with half a brain can see how pretty she is…well maybe except Jay. _

_**Okay, so, to recap: You were worried about her. Which means you care about her. And what happens when you care about someone? You hide how you're feeling behind a thick layer of anger, sarcasm and quick remarks so that you don't have to get close to anyone. Admit it, you do care about her. **Yeah, so? She's my team mate, of course I care about her well being. Without her, the prophesy is null and void, meaning buh-bye world. And I happen to like the world, thank you very much. **Is that avoidance I hear?** Shut up, I ain't avoiding shit. She's just a whiny little bitch with anger management issues. **Like you don't need anger management yourself.** Well I was managing it during that fight, until she let her guard down! And then she blames it on me! What's up with that!_

Archie sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. Arguing with his conscience…or whatever it was…was giving him a headache. His insides twisted funnily as he thought back to their argument. _'I hate you!' _The words rang in his mind, echoing over and over again, making him frown unhappily.

_So what if she hates me? She's not my favourite person in the world either…though we did have fun at the arcade…even if she did keep laughing and making me lose quarters. Still…**Still, you know you didn't really mean what you were saying to her. You really need to learn to think before speaking. Look where it's gotten you. You're gonna be walking funny for awhile. **That should be the least of my worries, my ability to father children being foremost in my mind. **That too. So. Does this mean you've learned your lesson? **And that would be? **That maybe Theresa felt the same as you did, and was simply trying to work out her own aggressions, and didn't appreciate you stealing that opportunity away from her? **Ahhh….didn't think of it like that. **Well, you should. She's a fighter too Archie, it's in her blood just as much as it is in yours. It doesn't matter that she's female. Some of the best fighters in the world are women.**_

_Alright, alright, I get your point. From now on, I won't interrupt unless she wants help. And I won't take out my aggression on her, because I really don't feel like getting sacked again. Though I guess it was only fair, considering how hard I hit her…hope I didn't break anything…shit Atlanta will kill me if I did…she looks kinda murderous already…though maybe that's just for Ares. Heh. **Does this mean you're going to apologize to her when you go find her?** What! Hell no! Who says I'm going to find her? **Archie… **Fine…I'll…apologize. But I ain't going to find her! Atlanta can do that. I'll just find her back at home._

Mind made up, Archie opened his eyes to find his team mates wandering over to the bench, training session over. He opened his mouth to say something when Hera and Persephone entered the gym, Persephone in her frightening 'Queen of the Underworld' mode. She glared at Ares with an 'if-looks-could-kill' look, Hera frowning disappointedly. Archie sunk down. He knew trouble when he saw it.

Theresa half sighed, half sobbed as she felt the tears slow, mind and body numb and trembling from the piteous crying that had wracked her body so badly. She felt nauseous and light headed as she turned her face, resting her cheek on cool marble, eyes staring blankly across the grove and off into the distance. So out of touch with reality was she that his presence was not noticed until a warm hand clamped down on her shoulder. She jumped and whirled about, coming face to face with the King of the Underworld. She quickly swiped at her face, rising to her feet shakily, swaying as she stood.

"H-Hades!" her voice was hoarse and rough, and she winced at the sudden pain of talking. Hades raised an eyebrow at the swaying young girl, and gently led her to the bench, sitting next to her with a flourish of purple robes.

"Dear me, this will never do. Can't have pretty girls crying their hearts out in dear Persephone's grove, now can we? Well, really you shouldn't be down here anyways, but I'm willing to let it slide," Hades smiled indulgently at the relieved look on Theresa's face. He caught her chin with two strong fingers, forcing her to look at him. "But only if you tell me why you came down here in the first place. Surely there are better places for a good cry?"

"This was the only place safe enough," she mumbled, looking away in shame, still clearing the tears from her face.

"Safe enough from what? Or is it whom?" Hades questioned, arms crossing. Theresa gave him a small nod.

"Safe enough from…everything. From my friends…Safe enough for them, and for me…" she trailed uncertainly, her words making no sense in her mind as she spoke them. She shook her head and sighed softly, too drained to try and make sense. "I'm sorry. I just…I don't understand how I feel…or why…and so…"

"And so you escaped to my kingdom," Hades finished with a somewhat smug smile. "Well, to Persephone's little corner of it at least. I must admit, I come here oftentimes when I feel a little overwhelmed."

Theresa glanced at him in surprise, a glimmer sparking briefly in her dulled eyes.

"Yes, my wife leaves her touch wherever she goes. I find it…comforting," he smiled down at the young girl. She gave him a tiny smile of her own.

"Very comforting. And safe," Theresa whispered. Safe. Safe from Archie's anger, or Jay's disinterest. But never from herself, her raging, swirling emotions, thoughts that ran rampant in her crowded mind, screaming to be let loose, never satisfied, always hungering…She could feel herself slipping between the cracks of reality at times, wondering if the lucidity she'd had until then had simply been a wonderful dream of how things could be. Of how things should be, and then she would see things, see the future, a glimpse of a precious split-second ahead, and she would return to that lucid state of reality that she supposedly lived in. She shook her head again, trying to focus wandering thoughts, not wanting to ignore the god sitting beside her.

"Why do I feel this way?" her hoarse whisper startled both of the pair out of their thoughts. "I just feel so angry, and sad at the same time. And yet at the core of it all there's nothing. Nothing at all, just a hollow space where something should be, but I don't know what it is that's missing. And it hurts Hades. Hurts more than anything in the world, more then the feel of a blade ripping through my skin, or his smile ripping through my heart. Why?"

"Because you were not meant to be hollow Theresa. This emptiness inside of you is crying, begging to be filled, but you are unsure of how to accomplish that. This boy's smile you speak of. Perhaps the key lays within him," Hades said thoughtfully, stroking his chin, eyes staring off into the distance. "I am no master of the heart like Aphrodite, nor am I wise like Athena. But ultimately, what you need should not come from others, but from within you. To better one's self solely for one's self is a very noble cause indeed, and should not be demeaned by others. Life is never easy. I have learned this over millennia of watching mortals. But what you decide to do with it is what makes you worthy of living it. You are young, and confused Theresa, and under a lot of pressure to save us all from our untimely doom. Perhaps you simply need some time to yourself, to find yourself and the missing parts of you."

Theresa had leaned her head gently against Hades' arm as he spoke, the words gently reverberating inside her mind. Her eyes closed, body drained of energy from the fight and her crying. She listened to the steady beat of her heart, wondering why it bothered to continue after each pulse, and how could she find a missing part of her? In a world so large, so fraught with dangers…dangers she was fighting, trying to overthrow for reasons she knew and yet remained unsure of. Find herself indeed. She couldn't even find the words running through her mind, how could she find what she didn't know she was looking for?

_Maybe I need to understand myself better before I try to find myself. Like why I got so angry at Archie in the first place today. He was only trying to help, even if I didn't want it. He was so sweet this morning, and then I just messed it up. Oh he's going to hate me…that was a really low blow I gave him. He's right. I am an ungrateful little bitch. No wonder Jay wants nothing to do with me. I'm surprised any of them bother with me still. Probably won't want to once I get back. I really let myself out of control back there. Broke Ares' floor. Stupid, Theresa, very stupid. From know on, think before you act. Even if emotions surge and overflow and the mind stops, allowing the heart to reign. It should be forced down, submitting to logic and what you know is wrong and right. I will apologize when I return, though he may not accept it. May never speak to me again. Hope that doesn't happen. He is annoying…but intriguing. All emotion and passion and action and no thought, like you, only all the time. Many hidden facets to this gem wanting, needing to be discovered, but by who? Will he let them be discovered…_

Thoughts of twinkling gems enshrouded Theresa's mind as she fell into an exhausted slumber, spent from the day's happenings. Hades smiled gently as he watched the girl slip away to the sandman, hoping she would have sweet dreams or none at all. He had not had much contact with this little slip of a mortal, but Persephone had come to love the girl as though she was her own, always telling him stories of her achievements when she came home to him at the end of the day. He felt he would actually be slightly saddened to see this young one enter the Elysian Fields, though hopefully not for many more years to come. _Such a bright young star, this one. Perhaps Persephone should bring her down for a visit. She could use a few days to herself._

Hades sighed and gently lifted the limp girl in his arms, preparing to take her back to the mortal realm above him. No doubt the others would be missing her. A flash of purple swirling clouds marked their disappearance, the grove once again falling silent.

He was met with unchecked chaos with an undertone of fury, and stood momentarily unnoticed, allowing him to take in the scene. His wife, Zeus bless her, was standing in all her queenly glory, screaming at Ares about how 'he was a tactless, no good excuse for a god' and 'it's his fault Theresa's missing!'. Hera was attempting to pacify both, Ares being worked into a rage. The other six teens stood close by, the purple haired one trying to calm down his mentor, while the other girl tried to calm his wife down while also glaring at Ares. Hades chuckled lowly, earning the blonde's attention.

"Looking for something?" he questioned, stepping forward with a sleeping Theresa curled in his arms. Persephone gasped, rushing to his side, skin milky once more.

"Theresa! Oh Hades, where did you find her?" she cried gently, fluttering worriedly before Hades, checking over the redhead, a delicate hand stroking the hair from her sleeping brow. Theresa smiled slightly in her sleep, burrowing against Hades, one fist curled beneath her bruised chin.

"In your grove, poor thing. She was sobbing her heart out," Hades said softly, looking down at his wife. Atlanta shot a glare over in Archie's direction before shaking her head, and looking back to Theresa. She glanced back at her other best friend and noted the look of shameful worry on his face. Her face scrunched up in confusion. _Huh. I would have thought he'd be glaring and pouting like an idiot right now. Honestly. They're both so immature sometimes. Though they've never fought this badly before. What the hell happened to get them so angry? And how the hell did Theresa get down to the Underworld? Why would she go down there anyways? It's so creepy…Man, Persephone's pissed._

Said Queen of the Dead was once again shrieking at Ares for even thinking of letting the two teens hurt each other, and what was wrong with him, and what kinds of things was he teaching Archie, and how could he treat women like that….Needless to say Ares was quite upset with Persephone at that point. Hades chuckled nervously, still holding Theresa as the other six teens looked on, somewhat frightened by the raging gods.

"Enough! Hold your tongues! Hades, is Theresa alright?" Hera cut in, earning a nod from the purple god. She turned to Ares, stern look set upon her face. "Ares. Return to your armoury. I shall be with you shortly. Persephone, remember: what we discussed earlier still holds. Children, take Theresa home to rest."

"Hera. If we may…I think perhaps Theresa should stay with Persephone and I tonight," Hades cut in. Persephone chimed in immediately.

"Yes Hera, please. She's fine physically, but…" the goddess trailed off, glancing pointedly at the crater in the floor. Hera sighed, and waved a hand to dismiss them.

"Very well. I shall leave her in your care Persephone," Hera agreed, turning to leave the room to meet with Ares. Persephone placed a hand gently on her husband's arm, and they both vanished in a swirl of purple clouds.

The six remaining teens all shared confused glances, unsure of what to say in the now stifling silence.

"Soo…" Neil decided to once again break the silence. "This has been the weirdest day of my life so far."

"How can you possibly say that with all we've been through?" Atlanta questioned, still perturbed at the disappearance of one best friend, and the unusual demeanour of the other.

"How can I not? I mean, Archie and Theresa came back in the middle of their biggest fight ever, screaming out their undying disgust of one another. And then, the whole lightning covered Theresa bit, with the shaking of the _entire building,_ and, oh yeah just a reminder, but she made a _crater_ in a granite floor with her _fist!_" Neil ranted, arms flailing. He gestured wildly to Archie. "And then, then they proceeded to kick each other's asses…though, dude. You got sacked. Hah! And you made her cry. Man, it sucks to be you. And the whole swooshy appearing, disappearing thing. What's that all about?"

Herry and Odie exchanged amused glances while Archie glared fiercely from the bench.

"Just wait till I can walk properly again Neil, I'm gonna kick your ass," Archie growled half-heartedly, his mind only half in reality. It did suck to be him. _Sobbing her heart out? Why did she go down to the Underworld anyways? So we couldn't find her? Well it worked, man was Persephone freaking out. Jay too. Probably even more pissed at me now for making her run away to someplace we can't track her, thinking that Cronus got her or something. Damn it all, this whole situation just sucks. And why the hell is she better off staying with Persephone? Because she broke the floor? Is something wrong with her?_

Archie sighed and stood painfully, noticing the others were ready to leave. He was even more confused now than he had been in his earlier conversation with himself. And definitely not looking forward to the tongue lashing he was sure to get from Atlanta once they got home, though undoubtedly Theresa would be getting one as well. He had to smile slightly at that. It was funny to think that Atlanta could be such a mother hen sometimes…though usually only when he and Theresa were squabbling. Which was becoming a far too common occurrence nowadays.

He frowned as they entered the brownstone, limping his way upstairs to lay down and think. He hoped Theresa was alright. He needed to apologize after all. He lay down with a yawn. Well if she could sleep, so could he. Closing his eyes, he let himself drift off to the sandman, visions of vivid red hair and blue lightning dancing through his dreams.


	4. Chapter the Fourth

A/N: Alright. Woot! Chapter 4, finally. Took me awhile on this one. Hope it doesn't dissappoint. And yes, I am working on Mind Games...just very slowly. I'm actually supposed to be doing a three page critical response due tomorrow right now, so be happy you're even getting this. And hawaiin.ginger...be glad you are still in high school. Oh gods how I miss those days! University is hell! Hell I tell you! It's turning me into a mindless, educated drone of society! Help! Ahem...yaaa. So read and review, mkay? It'll make me happy and keep me sane.

**A New Twist**

**Chapter the Fourth**

Archie awoke with a start, opening his eyes to a dark room. He sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Glancing at his alarm clock, its numbers blared back with an obnoxiously red 10:13 P.M. Archie glared at it, wishing it was A.M and that the day from hell was actually over. He swung his legs off the bed and stood, cracking his back.

His stomach growled angrily at him, reminding him that he had yet to feed it. Making his way slowly downstairs, he thought back to the dream that had awoken him in the first place. He had dreamed of Theresa, of that he was certain. It had been a vivid dream, but incoherent at best. Not that dreams normally made sense, but this one had been….surreal, to say the least.

Archie remembered the vivid, swirling red of her hair, and a set of green, piercing eyes, tear filled and haunted. Blue lightning flickered across his vision, staining everything sapphire. Swirls of amethyst had reached out, mixing with the sapphire, while a furious onyx raged in front of them. Archie had a strange feeling the amethyst had been coming from him, but the onyx? He remembered the feel of Theresa next to him, as a raw, fierce wind whipped at them. Electricity crackled in the air, an unseen force pressing down heavily everywhere, pressing down on him until he could no longer draw breath. And then he was awake, staring at a black ceiling. Archie sighed, staring blankly into his bowl of soggy cereal.

"So what happened between you guys **_this_** time?" a voice asked sharply. Archie jumped, startled out of his reverie, and turned to look at Atlanta. He blinked at her and turned back to his bowl, a small frown on his face.

"I wish I knew," he sighed, half-heartedly pushing around his cereal. Atlanta sat next to him, arms crossed, a glare on her face. Archie shook his head. "I'm serious Lanta. I'm really not sure what set us off this time. She got into a fight at the arcade, I jumped in to help, and then…we just blew up at each other."

"What were you guys doing at the arcade during school anyways?" Atlanta questioned, glare lessening to a stern frown Hera would have been proud of. Archie glanced around for signs of the others, but the main floor was surprisingly empty that night.

"Well I was in a bad mood, and Theresa was really upset about, well, Jay, so I decided to take her to the arcade with me, you know, get us in a better mood. It was working too, until those jackasses decided to attack Theresa, why I don't know. And so, here we are," Archie shrugged, glancing at his best friend. "And I know, Atlanta, that our fight was a mistake. I just…dunno anymore."

"What jackasses? What happened at the arcade?" she asked. _Was that how Theresa got that bruise?_ Archie snorted softly.

"These five guys decided to pick a fight with Theresa, I guess. They were big too, as big as Herry at least. She was doing pretty damn good too, until I jumped in, I guess," Archie smiled slightly in remembrance. He frowned, reaching up to ruffle his hair sheepishly. "I, ah, guess it's my fault she got hurt. I guess I distracted her, cause one of those guys backhanded her pretty good. That's ah, where she got the bruise from. But you should have seen her Lan, I thought she would have gone flying across the room, but she spun around and landed a roundhouse on the guy. Knocked him out cold. And then she goes into the splits and nails the last guy right in the…well, where she, uh, got me. That girl sure does fight dirty!"

"And yet how oddly admiring you sound," Atlanta teased, smiling once more. Archie flushed and scowled at the young girl.

"Yeah, well, I may not always get along with, or like Theresa, but I respect her. Even more so now that she's kicked my ass, that's for damn sure. She's one helluva fighter, even if it is dirty. And she's tough too. That was a hard hit," Archie explained haughtily. Atlanta rolled her eyes and poked her finger into his cheek, earning another scowl.

"I'm gonna take a wild guess here, and say that you were worried about her, so naturally you got angry, and hence the fight ensued," Atlanta drawled, eyeing him up. He blinked rapidly, a confused look on his face. She smiled. "I'm right aren't I? C'mon Arch, you know that I know you too well for you to lie and say no. I think you care about Theresa more than you want to admit."

Archie sighed and continued staring into his bowl of now mush. _This conversation sounds oddly familiar. **It does, doesn't it?** Shut up and go away._ He snorted as Atlanta poked him again.

"Yeah, so I was worried about her. Doesn't mean I care about the princess. She's a pain in the butt most of the time," he said, catching a small smile on Atlanta's face. "What?"

"She's 'princess' now? What happened to drama queen?" she asked, holding back laughter. Archie was such a dork sometimes.

"Eh, it was getting old. Needed something new," he shrugged. Atlanta rolled her eyes.

"You're such a dork Arch. Honestly. You say you don't care, yet you worry _and_ give her nicknames. Which are usually reserved for people you _care about_," Atlanta stressed, a silent 'duh' being mentally tacked onto the end of that sentence. Archie glared at her, clearly hearing the 'duh' tone in her voice, before standing and dumping his bowl in the sink.

"Whatever Lan. I'm too tired to think about it tonight. See you in the morning," he said, trudging out of the kitchen and into his bedroom across the hall. Atlanta sat there a moment, a look of contemplation on her face. She stood and slowly walked to the stairs, ready for bed herself. She glanced back at Archie's closed door and sighed.

"When are you ever going to learn that caring about someone isn't a weakness?" she murmured softly, small frown on her face. She shook her head and went upstairs.

Theresa sighed as her eyes slowly fluttered open, remnants of a dream flickering through her mind. She had dreamed of gems, brilliant sapphire mixing with bold amethyst. Furious onyx had raged, and despairing topaz had swirled amongst a bevy of others. Citrine mixed with emerald, ametrine with diamond. _So beautiful_, she thought, staring up at the ceiling. Her brow furrowed in confusion. _That's not my ceiling._

Theresa bolted upright, blankets clutched tightly to her chest, heart hammering beneath them. She looked around in amazement at the bedroom she was currently in, forgetting momentarily that she was supposed to be in her own bed in the brownstone. Her gaze fell to the blanket clutched between her fingers and she gently rubbed the material. It was the softest silk she had ever felt, and dyed in the richest purple hue, much like the rest of the room, the colour highly saturated in all the material present.

Gold furniture was spread throughout the opulent room, while brocade draperies covered the walls and surrounded the gigantic bed she lay in. Stretching across the ceiling directly above it was a mirror that Neil would have died for. Theresa paused a moment in her gazing and frowned up at it curiously, wondering why there would be a mirror above a bed. _Wait, I don't even know whose bed this is! Where am I?_ Theresa's head whipped around as the doors creaked open, and she scrambled off the bed and into a readied defence stance. Or at least she tried to. Still light headed, she swayed unsteadily and pitched forward.

Bracing for the impending impact, she was surprised when instead she fell into a pair of soft arms, the scent of wild roses surrounding her. Theresa's eyes shot open. _Persephone!_ She pulled back slightly to look at her, relief evident on her face. She spied Hades closing the doors, leaving them to their privacy. Persephone gently sat Theresa back on the bed, one arm around her shoulders.

"Persephone. Thank goodness, I was so worried. Where am I? How come I'm not at home?" she asked softly, resting against the blonde goddess. Persephone sighed and gave Theresa a gentle squeeze, a sad little smile on her face.

"Theresa. Do you remember what happened yesterday? Between you and Archie?" Persephone asked carefully, watching as Theresa's eyes widened and began to tear, her expression miserable as she nodded.

"I remember," she whispered. "We fought and…I hurt him. And then ran away like a coward to your grove. And Hades…am I in the Underworld?"

"Yes. I thought it best if I kept an eye on you last night. Your powers…they're growing at a somewhat alarming rate Theresa. And, clearly, they're being fuelled by some very strong emotions. But I think with some deep meditation exercises, we should get them under control. They may be very useful against Cronus," Persephone explained, thoughtful look on her face. She stood suddenly, pulling Theresa up with her and leading the girl towards another door. "But it's almost noon and you have school! So off you go to get ready!"

"Noon!" Theresa cried as Persephone hustled her into the bathroom, which was just as opulent as the bedroom. She stared in awe for a moment before shaking her head and stripping off her nightgown to hop into the shower. Which seemed more like a miniature waterfall in her mind. "Ooh, Archie's gonna kill me for missing class! As if he's not mad enough at me already!"

"Theresa…" Persephone began hesitantly, laying out fresh clothing for Theresa. "I want you to try and stay away from Archie as much as possible, for now."

"What? Why!" Theresa spluttered, quickly rinsing her hair. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"Because, Theresa, he's obviously a trigger on you. I have never seen you so upset before, and I don't want a repeat experience," Persephone told her sternly. "Now, when you're ready, just follow the hallway to the left and a path will lead you to the grove. You'll be able to find your way from there."

"But, Persephone-" Theresa started, but her mentor had already left. She sighed irritably and stepped out of the shower, feet slapping wetly on the cold marble floor. She wrapped a fluffy towel around her body and hurried over to the vanity where Persephone had placed the clothes. She wrinkled her nose in annoyance when she saw what it was: a dress. A pretty dress, to be sure, but honestly. What if Cronus attacked? Sure, she could fight in a dress; she just preferred not to try to do so modestly.

Theresa sighed and slipped it over her head, marvelling at the texture. It was the softest cotton ever, and styled much like Persephone's. An empire waist with a deep V neck, the only difference was the absence of a slit running up the legs. Theresa twirled, delighted as the dress billowed out around her. It was a rosy pink tint with a band of gold under the bust. She quickly slipped on a pair of gold sandals resting beside the chair, and grabbed her book bag which had mysteriously appeared.

Checking herself one last time in the mirror and satisfied, if not a little overwhelmed, with her appearance, she proceeded to bolt back up to the Aboveground, and into the janitor's closet. She noted that her bruise had faded considerably from the night before, and idly wondered if Persephone had anything to do with it. Theresa brushed off the thought and, checking the time, cautiously opened the door and crept out into the hallway. It was lunchtime and so she headed directly for the cafeteria, hoping Archie wouldn't be extremely upset at her still, and that he would actually accept her apology. If he was even there, that was._ Ah well, I know where to find him now if he's not._ She entered the cafeteria and walked over to the stairs.

Archie sighed and sat back in his seat, mentally cursing himself for actually sitting with his friends for lunch. Damien was there, again, taking up all of Atlanta's attention, again. He glanced at the empty seat beside him, and felt a wave of guilty concern wash over him. Theresa hadn't been back that morning, nor was she in class either. Maybe something really was wrong. Maybe he had really hurt her, or maybe something was wrong with her clairvoyance, or-

His worried thoughts were interrupted by a chorus of whistling and hooting from a few tables over. Glancing over, his eyes widened at the sight of Theresa, blushing and flustered, moving quickly over to their table. No wonder the jocks were so noisy, she was…gorgeous! Archie felt a light flush was over his cheeks as his eyes skimmed down her body, taking in her every aspect, and scowled, mentally smacking himself.

Theresa swallowed compulsively and sat down nervously beside Archie, unsure if his sour expression was supposed to be directed at her. She offered him a shaky smile and nearly sighed in relief when she received a small, tentative one in return. She put her bag on the floor and sat back, arms crossed protectively over her chest, marginally relaxed now. Glances were exchanged between the group, minus Damien, as they watched the two tensely, fearing another explosive outburst. Damien, oblivious to it all, continued on his conversation with Herry, giving Atlanta the chance to glance over at Theresa. She gave the older girl a questioning glance, silently communicating with her eyes, which flickered rapidly over to Archie. Theresa smiled and shook her head almost imperceptibly, earning a relieved smile from Atlanta. Archie frowned at the two, sure he was missing something, and feeling rather awkward sitting next to Theresa and not saying anything. He cleared his throat and looked over at her.

"So, uh….what's with the dress?" he asked bluntly, immediately wanting to smack himself as Theresa flushed and looked down at her lap. _Stupid! What kind of conversation starter is that! How about, I'm sorry for yesterday? Idiot!_

"It's silly, I know, but….well, um, it was all I, uh, had this morning," Theresa stammered, careful not to say anything in front of Damien. _Geez Persephone, why'd ya hafta leave me a dress? And a fancy one at that? Now he's gonna make some stupid 'drama queen' comment and ugh!_

"N-No, it's uh, n-nice. Yeah," Archie stuttered, nearly making Atlanta laugh out loud. Archie only ever stuttered when he was nervous about something. He raised a hand to the back of his head, rubbing his hair ruefully. Another nervous habit he was prone to. "Hey, uh Theresa, look. I just wanted to say that uh, I'm sorry, about yesterday. Ya know. It was just…"

"Yeah, no I know. I'm sorry too," Theresa said quickly, enormously relieved at this development. "Um, I uh, hope I didn't hurt you too badly yesterday. I feel terrible about fighting dirty like that."

"Hmph. You should be, I'm gonna be walking funny for a few days, at least," Archie smirked teasingly. It faded into concern as he gave her a quick once over. "So uh, are you okay? Nothing's broken?"

"No, I'm fine, just a little sore," Theresa laughed, waving away his concern. "It'll take more than that to put me out of commission, don't you worry Arch."

"Pfft. Me, worry about you? In your dreams princess," Archie snorted. He paused a moment, eyes widening slightly as he realized what he just said, in front of everyone. Theresa smiled and flushed prettily, happy that normalcy was returning to her life. Well, as normal as her relationship with Archie could be.

Atlanta just shot Archie a smug 'I told you so' look, while Jay frowned slightly, still worried about Theresa. Archie scowled at Atlanta and decided to poutily ignore her for the rest of the day. _**Real mature. **Shut up._

Conversation resumed and buzzed around the table, though Theresa and Archie remained mostly silent, still a bit awkward next to each other. Archie fiddled with the zipper on his hoodie, stealing the occasional glance at Theresa, currently talking to Atlanta. _She should wear dresses more often._ Archie blinked. _Where the hell did **that** come from? **Hehehe. Where do you think? **Ugh, go away already.** But the view is so good from here.** Huh? **Theresa, numbskull.** What about her?** She's fucking hot. Admit it. **If I do, will you go away? **So you do think she's hot! **Pfft, any idiot can see that. **And she's got really big- **Hey! We are **not** going there!_

Archie flushed and squirmed uncomfortably at his thoughts, feeling just a little perverted in that moment. He glanced at Theresa again, eyes flicking inadvertently down to her breasts. _Damnit! Why'd she hafta wear such a…a…**revealing** dress? Shit._ Archie scowled again, sliding down further into his seat, trying to focus on something other than Theresa's breasts. Or how soft they looked. Or how perfectly they were cupped in the deep V of the rosy dress. Or how the size and undoubted weight of them would feel cupped in his hand. _Damnit, stop! **Why? **Because it's Theresa! **You mean Theresa's breasts. They are nice. And big. **Yeah. When did they get so big anyways? They always looked smaller…Wait, what the hell am I thinking! Who cares! Damnit! Gotta stop thinking………**Breasts.** Shut up!_

The bell rang suddenly, and without a backward glance, Archie shot out of the cafeteria in relief. Theresa watched as he ran out the doors leading toward the gym, confused at his hasty departure. He had seemed uncomfortable during lunch, fidgeting and twitching next to her. She had noticed him glancing at her every so often out of the corner of her eye, but had never caught his gaze. She frowned. _What's wrong now? I thought things were…okay with us, but now he won't look at me?_ Theresa sighed and glanced up at Jay as they walked to English, catching him staring down at her with a slight frown. _Great, now I'm going to be lectured by the very root of my problem._

"Are you sure you're okay Theresa?" Jay asked, voice flooded with concern. Theresa nodded and smiled shyly in relief, pleased that he was actually worried for her.

"I'm fine, Jay, really," she reassured him as they slipped into class. They took their seats quietly, Jay sitting behind Theresa, his mind wandering off into his thoughts. He had noticed Archie's wandering gaze during lunch, and knew exactly why he had run off like that. Jay's face flushed as he stared at Theresa. He couldn't really be mad at Archie for staring, he tried to reason, for he had been staring as well. _Yeah, but Archie supposedly wants Atlanta. The hell's he doing practically panting over Theresa? Sure, she's sexy as hell today, but still…Gods, she's beautiful._

Jay shook his head and tried to concentrate on the lesson and not Theresa. Easier said than done. _She does have really nice…_His face turned crimson as he squirmed down in his seat. _Bad Jay, you shouldn't be thinking about her like that! One day she **is** going to be able to read minds, and then you'll be screwed!…Not that being screwed by Theresa would be a bad thing…Gah! Damn hormones. How am I supposed to concentrate on school, or defeating Cronus, when I'm hooked on staring at her body like a drooling half-wit? Which is why being romantically interested in Theresa is a very bad idea…But she still has the best body I've ever seen. Damnit!_

Jay was thus very much in the same state as Archie when class was over, giving Theresa a quick goodbye before bolting away to his math class. Theresa frowned in confusion again, shaking her head as she carefully walked downstairs to the Art wing._ What's wrong with the boys today? They're acting so weird…Not that I'll ever understand boys, but still. I'd like to think I know **my** boys fairly well…_

Theresa sighed as she took her seat in the art classroom beside Neil, Archie sitting across from them. She got a cheerful greeting of "Hey gorgeous" from Neil, while Archie refused to look at her. Her frown deepened slightly, before turning into a wicked smile.

"Hey. How are my two sexy boys today?" she asked playfully, nudging Neil with her shoulder. He nudged her back and smirked at Archie.

"Two? I only see one sexy boy here, unless you're counting my reflection," he said smugly, whipping out his mirror once more. Archie flushed and scowled at him, sorely tempted to kick the narcissistic boy with his brace. He glanced at Theresa and was surprised when she winked at him.

"Hmm, you're right Neil. There _is_ only one sexy boy here. So, how are you Archie?" Theresa smiled, holding back a delighted giggle at Neil's outburst of dismay. Archie snorted and smirked at her playfully, nudging her foot with his.

"Pretty good, all things considered. How's our sexy princess?" he asked, ignoring Neil's whining in favour of focussing on Theresa. Her suddenly playful mood was surprising…and intriguing. Theresa let loose her delighted giggles, and leaned forward on her elbows, chin resting atop her hands.

"I'm princess now, eh Arch? Got tired of drama queen, did you?" she teased, eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Yeah, I figured it was getting kinda old," Archie shrugged, doodling random scribbles in his sketchbook with a piece of charcoal. Theresa watched him quietly, enjoying the now relaxed silence between them. Neil, as usual, ignored the two in favour of modeling for the girls of the class who claimed to be studying "anatomy". Theresa sighed and took out her sketchbook, stealing the occasional glance at Archie and his doodles. She leaned back and propped her knees up carefully, dressed tucked underneath her feet, and rested her sketchbook on top of them. Stealing a quick glance at Archie, she began to sketch.

Charcoal flew across the blank page, a rough profile slowly appearing. Theresa snuck another glance at Archie, tongue stuck out in concentration. How on earth did Persephone expect her to keep away from Archie? She didn't want to…Really it was Jay she should distance herself from. Maybe it would hurt less that way. Archie though…he was such a mystery. Like how he acted all tough and macho, when really he was a rather sensitive, artistic soul. Sometimes. Sometimes he really was just a jackass.

_Oh Archie, you silly boy. Do you really believe that we would think any less of you for it? Well, maybe the boys…But I wouldn't…I don't…_ Theresa sighed, staring blankly at her current subject. Archie glanced up at her sudden gusty sigh, noticing her stare. He raised an eyebrow curiously. No response. He frowned. No response. With a sigh, he leaned forward and snapped his fingers in front of her eyes. Theresa jumped, startled out of her thoughts. She blinked at the amused look on Archie's face.

"Anybody home? Or am I just _so_ sexy today that you couldn't help but stare?" he quipped sarcastically. Theresa flushed and hid behind her sketchbook.

"Sorry. Lost in thoughts I guess," she mumbled sheepishly. Archie shrugged, watching her nimble fingers move over the page.

"S'okay. It happens," he said, watching her work. "What are you drawing? Must be interesting for you to work so hard."

Theresa bit her lip and peeked shyly over the top of her sketchbook, wondering whether she should show him or not. Art was one thing they were generally open with each other about, since they were the only ones interested in it. But this…was a little personal. Theresa mentally rolled her eyes. _It's a sketch of him, it can't be that personal._ She shrugged and turned it for him to see.

"Just a picture of the most annoying husband I've ever had," she teased nervously as his eyes widened in surprise, taking in the details of his visage as sketched by her hands. Words left him for a moment, as he took in the expression she had placed on him: one of a calm serenity that he had not felt in so very long. Archie noticed her shy, expectant expression and smiled.

"You've had other husbands?" Archie smirked. He had forgotten they were "married" now in class. Which made Theresa his temporary "wife". _Wait. Does that mean it's okay for me to check her out? Hmm…_ Theresa stuck her tongue out at him and flipped the sketch back around.

"Smart ass," she laughed, chucking a bit of eraser at him. He snorted and tossed it back.

"Of course. Would you have me any other way, my _darling_ wife?" he drawled sarcastically.

"Never in a million years," Theresa deadpanned, bored expression firmly in place.

"Good. See, Neil doesn't know what he's talking about. We are a perfectly happy married couple," Archie said in all seriousness, arms crossed over his chest as he stared at Theresa. She remained serious for all of about two seconds before laughter burst forth, Archie smirking triumphantly. Theresa shot forward quickly, ruffling his hair affectionately, earning a yelp of surprise from him. She fell back in her seat, laughing joyfully. There was no way she could keep away from this annoying, intriguing boy, she decided. She would die of boredom if she did.

Archie pouted crossly at Theresa, attempting to smother his hair back down, quite unsuccessfully. _Geez, first Atlanta, now Theresa. What is it with these girls and messing up my hair? So what if it's already messy, doesn't mean they hafta make it worse. Honestly._ Theresa grinned at his pouting, the notion of him being an adorable child vaguely crossing her mind. She glanced at the clock thoughtfully, tapping her finger against her chin. She looked back at Archie when he snorted with laughter suddenly, giving him a questioning look. He shook his head, reaching towards her.

"You just got charcoal on your face," he grinned, rubbing it gently off with his thumb. She blushed and mumbled her thanks. She sat up straighter suddenly, leaning towards him on her elbows once more.

"Hey Arch. Wanna do something after school? To make up for yesterday's horrible conclusion to an otherwise quite enjoyable outing?" she asked cheekily, hoping he would say yes. He cocked his head at her, confused look on his face.

"Wait, you actually want to spend more time with me? You sure I didn't hit you too hard yesterday?" he joked. She rolled her eyes at him, tapping his brace gently with her foot.

"Yes I'm sure. Yes or no Archie?" she said impatiently. Archie sat back grinning.

"Alright, alright. No need to get your panties in a twist. I'm game," he agreed as the bell rang.

"Great!" Theresa jumped up enthusiastically, not noticing the red stain flaring suddenly across Archie's cheeks. "I know this great little place I wanna show you. Come on, my car's still here."

With that, she dragged a stumbling, flushed Archie out of the school. _Damnit, that dress! **I hear ya. Love it. So bouncy. **Shut up and go away. I know you're not talking about the dress, so don't even start. Why am I cursed? **You call spending an afternoon with a beautiful, buxom woman a curse? You need your head checked. **Or maybe I just need to get rid of you. **Maybe. Either way, this is gonna be one interesting afternoon. **You can say that again._


	5. Chapter the Fifth

A/N: Oh my freaking god, an update. Well, it is after Christmas holidays, and I did promise an update, so here it is. Oh, last chapter I said Archie's room was upstairs and then down, so I fixed that. It's downstairs now, permanently. Well, fairly happy with how this one turned out, even though it literally took me forever to write. But I guess nobody's complaining huh? XD. Honestly, the end of last year was just all around bad for me. But this is a new year, and I feel refreshed. So hopefully I'll be back to writing full time soon, even though I'll be so damn busy. And I will try and work on Mind Games, I promise, but that one's being tricky too. So just enjoy this little update, ne? (I also, shockingly, drew a piece of fanart to go with this story, so hopefully I'll have that up on my website soon XD) R&R!!

**A New Twist**

**Chapter the Fifth**

Theresa smiled happily as she grabbed Archie's hand, dragging the protesting boy behind her. They had driven downtown into the more artsy district of New Olympia, and Theresa had insisted on parking blocks away from her intended destination, declaring she wanted it to be a complete surprise. Archie rolled his eyes, and allowed her to drag him forward, not really minding the tugging feel of her hand in his. _What the- shit, gotta stop thinking like that. Or just thinking, altogether. Wonder where she's taking me? Hopefully some place where she won't get into another fight. _

Archie glanced down at the little redhead in front of him, smiling slightly at the happy look on her face. She was practically beaming with anticipation, a tiny bounce in her step. He blinked rapidly and looked away. _Damn…bouncing…Fuck. **I love women. **Oh shut up. _Archie scowled at his…conscience or what have you, as he followed after Theresa, trying to keep his eyes off of her. She glanced back and her beaming smile fell slightly. _Did I…do something wrong?_ She glanced down at the hand still within her grasp and quickly let go, as though his skin burned against hers. _Stupid. Of course he won't like that. Honestly…_

Startled out of his thoughts by the sudden departure of the soft warmth his hand had been encasing, Archie looked down at Theresa, surprised at the slight frown she now wore. He blinked. _What the? I didn't say any of that out loud did I? Hmph. Strange girl._ He scowled as a man rudely bumped into Theresa, knocking her back.

"Hey buddy, watch it!" he yelled after the man, shaking his head. With a grunt of annoyance he took Theresa's hand once more, keeping her close to his side. She flushed and looked at him questioningly. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Be careful would ya? I don't need to bring you back with any more bruises."

"Hmph. I know how to take care of myself thank you very much," she retorted quickly, pulling her hand from his and stomping away. She made it about two feet, nose in the air, before colliding with someone once more. She fell back with a squeak, strong arm encircling her waist. A snort of laughter came from above her and a second arm came around her waist, Archie leaning down to rest his head on her shoulder.

"What was that about taking care of yourself? Princess?" he teased, enjoying the way she flushed and scowled without looking at him. _Am I…flirting with Theresa? No. No way. Just…teasing, that's all. Yeah. That's it. **Suuuuure it is. **_He cleared his throat uncomfortably and released Theresa, who bit her lip as the warmth left her. She shivered slightly and continued ahead, this time keeping close to her companion.

"Oh just…shut up," she growled half heartedly, face burning from rapid blood flow. Archie just grinned, trailing her like a shadow. He mockingly pouted down at her.

"Now is that any way to talk to your husband? My dearest wife," he added sarcastically. Theresa bit her lip harder, heart no longer beating so frantically. She rolled her eyes at the thought of actually being married to Archie. It was a very difficult thought to decipher.

_Being married to Archie? We'd kill each other…well maybe. He's actually behaving himself today…he can be sweet when he puts his mind to it, I suppose._ They wove carefully trough the evermore crowded streets. Archie trailed close behind Theresa, one hand resting gently, unconsciously, on the small of her back. _He has gentle hands._

Spotting her destination dead ahead, Theresa sped up, reaching behind her to grab Archie's hand. Dragging him to the doorway, they stopped, Theresa with a triumphant beam on her face. Archie blinked.

"An…art café?" he questioned slowly, looking down at the redhead still attached to his arm. She bit her lip, a nervous habit he had noticed in her early on. _Ooops, damn. **Try to at least seem interested, idiot. **I am! **Uh-huh….**_

"I, um…just thought it might interest you…art and all," Theresa stammered, letting go of Archie's hand to play nervously with her fingers. His gaze softened and he smiled, taking her small hand once more.

"Well then let's go check it out," he said, tugging her along. She followed happily, glad her hunch had been right. They wandered in, immediately welcomed by the warm atmosphere. Buying drinks, Archie followed Theresa to a table in the corner, bathed in sunlight. He smiled as she curled up in her chair, sipping delicately. _She looks like a cat sipping cream._ For once it seemed a comfortable silence had placed itself upon them, and Archie took the opportunity to look around.

_Obviously Theresa's been here before…wonder how she found it. Or how she had the time to, considering all our other extra curricular activities. Prolly needed to get away from Jay, that ass. Or me…I'm an ass too. Though I'm beginning to think that maybe we're just meant to always fight. Aside from the other day's physically painful fight, I do like…arguing with Theresa, I guess. And sparing's good too, just not getting my ass kicked. Speaking of ass kicking….maybe I should ask her about it? I mean, it's not everyday a girl makes a crater in a granite floor with her fist… _Glancing up, Archie decided to take a chance.

"Hey Theresa…about yesterday. What happened?" he asked cautiously, holding his breath as Theresa looked at him, unreadable expression on her face.

"What do you mean?" she asked warily. Archie shrugged and fidgeted with his mug, leaning closer to her.

"I mean, well, okay so we got pissed off at each other, nothing new there. And I don't need to know why, it's just something we do right? Not that we've ever fought that bad before…but, yesterday was just, different, ya know? I mean…" Archie glanced around surreptitiously, and lowered his voice. "How the hell'd you make that crater? And that lightning flickering over you…well, it burned, when it touched me. How'd you do that? Persephone seemed really upset and…well, I just wanna know that you're okay."

Theresa looked away, eyes clouded with inner turmoil, hands fidgeting with her cup. Archie sighed and leaned back, looking away from her. _**Well that went well. Could you be any smoother? **Shut the hell up._

"I don't know if I'm okay." Archie was startled out of his thoughts, barely catching her whispered answer. He turned to look at her once more, frowning at the pained look on her face. She looked…scared. Theresa looked down at her hands, trembling as they toyed with the china. She took a shaky breath as she glanced up at Archie, face unreadable, his blue-violet eyes holding hers steady. Biting her lower lip, she launched into a burst of incoherent babble.

"I don't know if I'm okay or not, or if I'm just pretending at everything, trying to make everything better. It's like, like, there's a mask and sometimes it slips and everything just falls out of control, and I get angry like I did yesterday, hurting everyone and myself. It hurts, a lot, and I'm sick because I think that maybe it's a good thing it hurts, because at least then I'm feeling _something, _anything but that hollow emptiness at the pit of it all," Theresa cried breathlessly, hot tears trailing down her cheeks.

Archie was quite startled at this outburst, to say the least. _Oh god she's crying again. Oh man, what do I do. Fuck, she's definitely not okay and part of that is definitely my fault. And Jay's. _Archie frowned as he thought of his leader, a quiet rage simmering in his belly as Theresa put her face in her hands, shoulders shaking as she sobbed silently. He glanced around, glad nobody had seemed to notice her little outburst, and scooted his chair closer to hers. Tentatively wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Archie pulled Theresa towards him, rubbing her back as she cried.

"Aw, I'm sorry Theresa. Here you bring me someplace cool, all friendly and stuff, and I just make you cry. I'm an ass," Archie muttered into her hair, feeling her warm tears against his neck. She shook her head violently, and reached up to wipe her cheeks.

"No, I'm sorry Archie. It seems like I'm always crying around you these days," Theresa muttered, pulling away from him with a tremulous attempt at a smile as she wiped her eyes dry. Archie shrugged and pulled his arm away.

"S'alright. Better than crying alone," he said, flicking her hair off his shoulder with a smile. Letting the smile slip from his face, he faced her seriously. "But Theresa, you know, maybe you should talk to somebody about the way you're feeling. Somebody better than me. I mean, knowing me, I'll just make you cry more or something, and you really don't need that. Or worse, I'll piss you off. And **I** really don't need that!"

"I'm sorry Archie, I really am," Theresa laughed slightly, wrapping her arms about her body. She bit her trembling lip and glanced away from Archie, gaze flickering downwards. "Persephone want me to stay away from you anyways."

"What," Archie said flatly, raising an eyebrow at her.

"She says you're a bad influence on me," Theresa whispered.

"Oh. Am I?" he asked. Theresa shrugged and shook her head.

"I don't think so…I…like spending time with you, believe it or not," she continued whispering, pulling her knees up to her chest, mindful of the dress she still wore. "With the exception of yesterday, I like fighting with you. It's fun. Takes my mind away from darker places that it sometimes likes to wander to."

"Yeah, I kinda like fighting with you too," Archie grinned. "Sooo, Persephone thinks I'm a bad influence eh? Well, it's a shame we have that project to work on together. I mean, she wouldn't want you failing school, would she? So, it looks like you're gonna be under my horrible influence awhile longer."

"Mmm that's right. She's going to be mad," Theresa smiled at Archie.

"And we would never want that, would we?" Archie grinned wider. Theresa shook her head and tried not to laugh.

"No. Never," she choked out. Archie stood suddenly, pulling her up with him.

"Well good then. Let's go see what other mischief we can get into. Hmm, we could always pull a prank on Neil. Odie would be good, but he's too damn smart," Archie mused as they left the café. Theresa smiled and shook her head. _Persephone isn't going to like this at all. But she's wrong. Archie isn't the problem. I'm the problem, or at least something about me is. I just need time to figure it all out, figure myself out. Hopefully without getting into any more battles with Archie, or anybody. If I could harness that power…learn to control it in any situation…_Theresa sighed and blushed as she noticed that Archie hadn't released her hand yet. She smiled softly. She wouldn't bring it to his attention.

They drove back to the dorm companionably, easy conversation floating between them as they stuck to lighter topics. Archie not wanting to upset Theresa, Theresa just not wanting to think about it. They decided, in the end, not to prank Neil. They just weren't up to listening to him shrieking that day. Maybe another time. Theresa sighed as they entered the kitchen, greeted curiously by the rest of their friends, all of them no doubt wondering why she was with Archie of all people. She shook her head and wandered upstairs to get changed. Slipping the soft dress off, she thought over her outburst as she folded it.

_Why am I always crying to Archie lately? It's so strange, but I just feel like I can…like maybe he can understand this better than anyone else. That he won't get freaked out, or think I'm completely mental. Ugh, why does life have to be so frustrating?! Hmm….he said I burned him…What was that burst of, of energy or whatever? It was powerful, definitely. I could feel it racing through my veins, like a surge of adrenaline, only headier, weightier…Does it only work with raw emotion behind it, or could I do it now?_

Theresa frowned and clenched her hand into a fist, willing that power to reappear. She stood stock still, staring at her hand, waiting. Minutes passed as she concentrated, concentrated on how it felt in that moment, how it looked, the smell, everything… Nothing. Nothing was coming to her. She sighed in frustration and flopped down on her bed, not bothering to get redressed. She didn't feel like socializing with anyone just then anyways. She groaned though when, moments later, a knock came at her door.

"Just a sec!" she called, rolling out of bed and throwing the dress back on hastily. Tugging it down she opened the door and sighed when she saw it was Jay who had knocked. Normally she would be delighted to see him, but not lately. He smiled down at her, but she could see the concern in his eyes. "Hey."

"Hey yourself. Mind if we talk for a minute?" he asked. She nodded and left her room.

"Sure. Why don't we go up to the roof?" she said, already walking ahead of him. Jay sighed and followed after her. Settling themselves on the rooftop, Theresa looked at Jay curiously, waiting for him to start with his questions. She wasn't disappointed.

"Theresa. Are you sure you're okay?" he began tentatively. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you and Archie have apologized to each other, but I really need to know that we won't have a repeat of yesterday. If something like that happened again, and Cronus caught us off guard, somebody could get hurt. Badly."

"Yes Jay, I'm fine," Theresa winced, lying through her teeth. Jay was the last person she could talk to about her problems. "And I know, it was stupid. Persephone's going to have me go through some more exercises so there won't be a repeat. Wouldn't want to give Cronus any advantage, now would we?"

If Jay caught the sarcasm in her last comment, he didn't say anything. Simply smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Good. But you know, if you ever want to talk about anything, don't hesitate," he said seriously, resting one hand on her shoulder, giving her a gentle squeeze. Theresa glanced down, staring at his hand as though it were some foreign object that just did not belong. She bit her lip as it slipped softly away and glanced up at Jay. He smiled softly down at her, that gentle smile that used to turn her insides to mush, made her eager to inch closer to him, brush her skin against his, teasingly. "By the way, you look very pretty today. The dress. It suits you."

But not so much anymore. Where was the mush, the fluttering, the inching teasingly closer? What was the point, when one moment he was ranting about Cronus, and the next trying to flirt with her without a care in the world?

"Thank you," Theresa offered him a small smile, one that didn't quite reach her eyes. She turned to retreat to the confines of her bedroom. "I think I'll go lay down for a bit, I feel a headache coming on."

"Alright. Oh, Ares wants us to come in for a bit of night training at eight. I'll wake you up," Jay informed her. She simply nodded and left the roof, wandering down to her room. Closing the door behind her, she sighed and fell back onto her bed. Tears pricked at her eyes, lip trembling as she bit down, trying to keep control. Right then, screaming seemed like a good idea. _Yeah, because I want everyone in the house to think I've finally, completely lost it. Just in case yesterday wasn't enough._ Theresa buried her face into her pillow, letting the tears slip down her cheeks silently.

Depression ate at her at the thought of facing Jay again, and in training no less. Ares would no doubt make some more snide, insulting, infuriating comments, hoping to get a rise out of her. The god was sadistic. Unless it concerned Archie of course. Oh no, Archie could do no wrong in his eyes. Now that was infuriating. She punched her mattress. _No, no, can't think like that, I'll just get mad at Archie again. Which is a bad thing right now. He was fun to hang out with today, and it's not like I can really hang out with Jay anymore. Why does he have to be like this? It's like he thinks I'll always be around, waiting until Cronus is gone and he can sweep me into his arms like some fucked up fairytale. Well not at the rate we're going. At the rate **I'm **going. _

Slowly her eyes fell shut and Theresa drifted off to sleep. Against all odds, hoping it would be dreamless. Luck did not favour her slumber, though her dreams were far from what she could have ever imagined.

Archie frowned as a cold shiver went down his spine, the back of his neck tingling. Rubbing his neck absentmindedly, he glanced at his watch. _Damn Ares. Stupid training. _He stood with a sigh and, cracking his back, walked slowly to the rooftop door and shuffled inside. Thumping down the stairs, he passed Jay knocking on Theresa's door.

"Time to go Terri," he called, getting a soft, mumbled reply. Archie frowned as another shiver shot up his spine, but shrugged it off and ran down the stairs, catching Neil in a headlock. Theresa sighed as she heard him shriek, resting her head in her hands. She bit her lip as she heard Jay go downstairs and slowly dragged herself out of bed to get changed. Her heart was thudding rapidly in her chest from her dream still, and she shivered as she left her room, slowly descending the stairs.

**_Gem tones swirled around her again, only this time onyx was the most prominent. Raging, she could feel the fury lashing out at her, overwhelming intensity leaving her breathless. Inky tendrils leaking out, mingling with her sapphire lightning. Her control was wavering and the onyx was moving in, closer, threatening, consuming her. A spike slowly formed in the centre of onyx, and suddenly amethyst was moving, blazing towards her. But time slowed and the spike shot out, striking her core. Time froze as ice seeped through her veins, blood pooling bitterly in her mouth, dripping over her pale lips. Her mind clouded, dark thoughts whispering silently to her as blood poured out of her mouth. It pooled everywhere, trapping her. Blood, blood, crimson, hot, silken blood!_**

Theresa jumped as Archie tapped her on the shoulder, and she looked up at him wide eyed. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Uh, you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost or something," he asked. Theresa blinked in surprise. They were in the school already.

"I-I'm fine," she whispered hoarsely, tears pricking her eyes at the remembrance of her dream, and at the concern shining clearly in Archie's eyes. She looked away, shamed as he gave her a disbelieving look. She suddenly hated lying to him, her stomach queasy. But before they could say anything else, Ares was belting out instructions for them to pair off. Somehow she ended up against Jay, Herry and Atlanta facing off, while Archie was stuck with both Neil and Odie.

Theresa sighed as they all headed out to the mats, paired off but all fighting at the same time. No weapons, just hand to hand. She could see the faint apprehension in Jay's eyes and she smiled bitterly. _What the hell, may as well go easy on him. He's scared enough as is._ And so the fights began, Theresa fazing in and out, ducking here and dodging there. Jay was getting better, though she much preferred Archie as a sparring partner. She glanced over and watched him fighting the two boys, getting lost in watching his technique. And so it came as a surprise to her as she got smacked in the face for the second time in as many days.

"Shit," she heard Jay curse as she stumbled back, dazed. The others paused to see what happened. Theresa shook her head, clearing away the shock of impact. Her lip burned and reaching up to touch it, her hand came away with a smear of red. **_Blood. _**Suddenly it was hard to breath, and her vision was getting blurry, hand trembling violently as she stared at it. Everything was going blue and she was sucked into another realm of consciousness.

_Blurry and blue, but she could still tell it was blood around her. The smell, coppery and bitter, pervaded her senses. Wind whipping at her hair, raw and violent, and she was so utterly alone. Where was her amethyst protector?! Surely he hadn't left her here…left her to be consumed by…by emptiness, unhallowed and leering. Voices were distant and clamouring…And she was sinking, no, being pulled down, faster and faster and faster!_

A hand touched her shoulder and she gasped as her senses were flooded with another's presence. This person…memories flashed through her mind, recent ones. Memories of _her_ dream belonged to this person, rooted in their subconscious, connected to her somehow. Deeply. And suddenly Theresa awoke, her face buried into a strong neck, a musky scent in her nose, and she was sobbing incoherently.

Archie tentatively raised a hand to stroke her back gently, as shocked as the rest of the team at this sudden turn of events. They had thought Theresa was having a normal vision and gathered around waiting for it to finish. Only the look on her face…she was lost, and small sparks were flickering over her skin. Shouting and snapping fingers hadn't worked to wake her, much to Neil's disappointment, but when Archie had dared to gently touch her shoulder, she gasped loudly and suddenly buried herself against him. Her arms were tight around him, her body trembling as she sobbed, muttering about dreams and blood, sparks gone.

Atlanta and Odie exchanged speculative glances while Jay looked on jealously, as Archie wrapped his arms tighter around Theresa, rubbing her back as they waited for her to calm down. With a long sigh, Theresa let her arms relax, finally feeling herself resurface to reality. She nuzzled her nose against the neck she was buried in, slightly confused but comforted by the feel of strong, warm arms rubbing her soothingly. Her eyes focussed and she pulled back slightly, looking at the green shirt in front of her, noting the small blood stain, no doubt from her lip.

"Theresa?" a deep voice above her murmured. She looked up slowly, meeting Archie's blue-violet gaze, eyes full of concern and perhaps a bit of fear. She gasped again as she observed him, knowing it was him she had felt, had connected with. Her hand reached up, laying against his cheek gently, tenderly. Eyes widened in surprise and narrowed in jealously at this soft contact.

"You," she whispered in awe. "You shared my dreams."


	6. Chapter the Sixth

A/N: Woohoo, another chapter! And man, did it take me forever to finish. I hope I don't disappoint anyone with it, it's not the most exciting one yet. BUT! It has plot development! Oooooo, so shiny. And yet another twist in my already twisted story. So I hope you all enjoy it, and gimme some feedback pretty please! I love my reviewers so very much. hands out cookie to all Oh and that piece of fanart I mentioned in chapter five is up, on my DA account, which is also jennieman. Just in case anyone's interested. It's not much, but it might give you a tiny hint of things that will happen later on in the story. So without further ado, on with the show!!

**A New Twist**

**Chapter the Sixth**

Archie stared out the window of Herry's truck, not really seeing what was passing by. After the incident with Theresa, Ares had dismissed them early, a strange look on his face. Archie himself was confused, to say the least. _How the hell do you **share** somebody's dreams? **Well she is psychic…**Okay, so why me? _He glanced ahead at her, but her head was bent forward, hair blocking her face.

Theresa was silent as she sat between Herry and Jay, keenly aware of the tension pervading the truck. She sucked on her slightly swollen lip, knowing Jay was going to start his interrogation as soon as they got home. What the hell was she going to say? _I don't want to say anything. It's between me and Archie anyways…though, well, Persephone should know too…_She sighed and got out of the truck, arms crossed and head bowed as she walked into the house, gnawing her lip as she thought.

Archie watched her as he followed, remembering idly how his breath had hitched in his throat as he held her, and she nuzzled so gently into him. Like it was normal, like it was right…like it was her place to nuzzle into. _Whoa, whoa, what the hell. Theresa and nuzzling should definitely not go together so well, least not when it concerns me. Jay, maybe, though he's not gonna be earning any brownie points if he starts ripping into us. Damn it, why can't anything in our lives just be normal?!_

Theresa sighed. She just wanted to go to bed. Not to sleep, just to be away from everyone.

"Theresa."

Ah, but duty called of course. She paused a moment, redirecting her steps to lead her into the living room, head still bowed. Jay sighed and ran a hand through his hair, leaning on the arm of the couch. Archie stood in the doorway to the kitchen, arms crossed as he leaned against the doorframe. Everyone else took seats, looking nervously between the three.

"So. What happened back there," Jay asked sternly, tone demanding an explanation, immediately. Theresa bristled slightly at it, frowning down at the ground.

"I don't know," she shook her head. "It was like I was stuck or something. That's never happened before…It was like, the harder I fought, the faster and deeper I got pulled down. Until…something else broke through for me."

"Was it a vision?" Jay frowned, not liking where this was going.

"No. I don't think it was. It…" Theresa hesitated, childishly not wanting to share her dreams with him. She glanced over at Archie and bit her lip. "It was like my dreams. Might have something to do with them."

"Dreams that you're somehow sharing with Archie," Jay noted, trying not to glare at the purple haired boy. "How? Why Archie?"

"I don't know," Theresa answered again, getting frustrated. _Why not Archie?! _she wanted to scream at him. _Jealous?!_ "I didn't even realize I was doing it until I found them in his mind!"

"Whoa, whoa, you went into my mind?" Archie cut in, glaring at her suspiciously. "How?"

"Gods, I don't know okay?" she seethed at all the questions.

"How do you not know how you get into somebody's mind?" Neil asked, choosing to watch the drama unfolding rather than his mirror. Theresa could feel herself getting angry again.

"Look all I know is one second I'm stuck, the next I have another consciousness touching mine, and it's filled with my dreams! And then I woke up," she huffed, crossing her arms. Archie blinked.

"Hmm. Archie did touch you when you were stuck," Jay said, standing up to pace thoughtfully. "Maybe that did it. You should really speak to Persephone about all this. What were you dreaming about?"

"It was nothing," Theresa said, looking away. Jay frowned.

"Theresa, I don't think it's nothing, not if you're getting stuck in visions," he stopped pacing, standing in front of her. She looked up at him defiantly.

"Fine. Then it's none of your business," she retorted. Silence fell over the room and Archie straightened in the doorway. Jay looked slightly taken aback.

"I think if it's starting to affect how you fight, and could potentially endanger all of us, then yes it is my business. It's my business to keep this team safe, and you getting stuck in visions and having lightning pouring over you is not safe, Theresa," Jay frowned down at her. Theresa glared right back, anger rising. Her hand started to tingle, but she ignored it. "If that happens again when we're out fighting Cronus, who knows what could happen! We can't run that risk."

The mention of Cronus, Theresa would later reflect, was probably what sent her anger boiling over the edge. She felt it rise sharply in hot waves and the tingles in her hand grew with them. The sudden crackling of energy tore her attention away from glowering at Jay, and she looked down. Her hand was encased in the lightning like energy, startling her. She blinked and raised her hand, turning it over as her anger started to fade, being replaced with surprise. The blue sparks slowly started to fade as well. Theresa took in a sharp breath.

"And I suppose you meant for that to happen," Jay's voice broke her concentration and suddenly the anger, and the sparks, were back full force. She bit down on her lip as the sparks spread up her arm, cheeks flushed with anger. _What the hell does he know? How dare he stand there and patronize me like a little child who did something wrong?! What happens with my body and my mind are none of his concern, and it's gonna stay that way, damn it!_

"Theresa, maybe you should calm down," Atlanta said tentatively, the furious look on her face frightening the younger girl. She almost flinched as Theresa's eyes snapped over to her, the normally emerald orbs taking on a blue sheen. Theresa opened her mouth to snap back at Atlanta when a sudden sharp, stabbing pain in her chest took her breath away. She gasped for breath and suddenly all sparks were gone, and she was left panting from the exertion. Covering her mouth, Theresa coughed violently, leaning against the other doorframe for support.

Pulling her hand away, her eyes widened at the sight of blood. Not much, just speckles, but…Her mind worked furiously, connecting her dreams, the vision, her sudden power…She had a theory, not that she would tell Jay. She bit her lip as tears pricked at her eyes, hoping she could prove her hunch wrong. Why couldn't she just be normal?

"Theresa?" Jay asked, concerned, hand held out, almost touching her shoulder. Theresa straightened without turning around.

"I'm going to bed," she announced weakly, leaving the room. A confused and tense silence fell over them, Jay staring absentmindedly at the spot where she had just stood. Archie frowned, glancing between him and the empty doorway.

"Well that went well," he said sarcastically, breaking the silence. He moved across the room towards his bedroom. "I'm going to bed too. And no Jay, I ain't telling you what she dreamed about. G'night."

With that, Archie shut the door behind him, not having to turn around to know that Jay was glaring at him. He smirked and got changed, half hoping he wouldn't be sharing any dreams tonight. The other half hoped he would, if only out of concern for Theresa. His first half won out though, and his sleep was uninterrupted.

The morning dawned clear and quiet. The house was quiet as everyone woke and ate breakfast. The ride to school was quiet as well. Classes, lunch, the ride home. All quiet. In fact, for the next week, it was fairly quiet, Theresa being practically silent. When she was even around that was, which was becoming less frequent with each passing day. Archie found himself becoming very annoyed at this new turn of events and decided finally at the beginning of the next week, after Theresa disappeared for the entire weekend, that he was going to follow her that day at lunch. _I mean, honestly, how are we supposed to piss off Persephone if she doesn't hang out with me more? Waaiit….what if she **is** avoiding me? _

Archie frowned and glanced over at Theresa, quietly finishing up their project for the class. After tomorrow, they would no longer be happily married. And in the next few weeks, they wouldn't even be high school students. The year would be over in two weeks and they were graduating that year. _How this is gonna work if we don't beat Cronus over the summer, I don't know….**Hey, bell rang. She's leaving. **Shit!_

He quickly scampered out of the room after her, trying to look casual as he followed her to their lockers. Watching her out of the corner of his eye, he noted that she was heading in the direction of the library. Giving some excuse to Herry, he shut his locker and followed after her. Sure enough, she headed into the library. Archie had a sudden sense of déjà vu, and hurried after her with a frown. She quickly went to the back of the library, to the corner Archie had claimed was his. He gave her a few moments to get settled, watching as she pulled out a few sheets of paper, before making his way over to her. Theresa was quite startled when he sat down suddenly across from her, heart thumping in her chest.

"Geez Archie, don't scare me like that," she hissed at him. He simply leaned back, arms crossed as he frowned at her.

"Are you avoiding me?" he asked bluntly. Theresa's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"What? No," she said. "Why would I avoid you?"

"Persephone," he replied evenly, watching carefully as she frowned back.

"No Archie, I'm not avoiding you because of Persephone, or any reason for that matter. Why would you think that?" she asked in confusion. He snorted.

"Well, considering the only times I've seen you have been in class and during training…kinda makes a person wonder," Archie shrugged. "So if you haven't been playing the avoidance game, where have you been?"

Theresa blushed and glanced down at her sheets, shuffling them a bit nervously.

"Well, I have been playing the avoidance game. Just, not with you, but with Jay. Sorry if it seems like I was avoiding you too," she looked up, apology clear in her eyes. He gave her a slight smile, which she brightly returned. She hadn't even noticed that she'd been avoiding him, per se. She had just been so caught up in staying away from Jay and working on her theory, that all her time seemed to disappear. She realized though as they sat in a comfortable silence, that she had missed being around Archie, had missed his presence that past week. She looked at him appraisingly. "Hey Arch, can you keep a secret?"

"Of course," he said, affronted. Theresa giggled and stood up, going to sit next to him.

"Good. Then I'll tell you what I've been up to, besides avoiding Jay. It has to do with all the weird stuff that's been going on," she whispered mischievously, pushing her chair close to his.

"Like with the whole sharing dreams thing?" Archie perked up, relieved that she hadn't been avoiding him and was now sitting so close. Truth be told, Theresa was quickly becoming his favourite person to hang out with, besides Atlanta. And well, since she was busy with the boyfriend, it had been a somewhat lonely week. And now a breakthrough? This week was shaping up to be a good one.

"Well, no, I haven't quite figured out the dream thing," Theresa frowned unhappily. "But that might have more to do with the content of the dreams themselves. As far as those sparks are concerned though, well. Persephone said my powers were increasing, hence the lightning. And you said that it burned when it touched you, not to mention the whole crater thing."

"Yeah, that was a little…disconcerting to say the least," Archie smirked at her. She nodded enthusiastically, edging closer.

"Exactly. Well, that night when I snapped at Jay, I got a sharp pain in my chest and…I coughed up blood," Theresa rushed to continue, seeing the concerned look on Archie's face. "It wasn't a lot, just a few spots, but it got me thinking. Now, what was similar about every time those sparks came?"

Archie frowned as he thought about it. Similar situations? He couldn't really remember any specifics…the first time it had happened was right after that big fight and the second was after training….adrenaline maybe? Hmm, though that was more for the first fight, considering how much it fuelled the fight after the fight….Wait a second though…

"You were angry," he said. She smiled.

"Bingo. The only time they come is when I'm angry. Not very helpful, I know. Well, for now, who knows I might be able to gain control of it," Theresa mused. "But, what's important is the blood aspect. It got me thinking about bloodlines and our heritage, and where exactly I got my powers from in the first place. I mean, Theseus wasn't a psychic, but…his father is a god."

"Poseidon," Archie said, catching on.

"And Poseidon's father is…?" Theresa trailed off.

"Cronus!" he exclaimed, sitting back in surprise. Theresa sighed and sat back with him.

"Exactly. I'm descended from Theseus, but at the core of it all, I'm descended from Cronus. It's his blood running through my veins, and I'm starting to think it's his power coursing through my body," she sighed unhappily, gazing down at her small, pale hands. "His power, that only appears when I'm in the darkest of moods, and leaves me feeling so drained afterwards. I think the dreams too….the onyx is Cronus. And I think he wants to use me to his advantage."

"Fat chance," Archie snorted, startling the redhead. He smirked at her, determined look on his face. "Like hell he's gonna get you. Over my dead body, Theresa."

"Archie…" she whispered softly, touched by his words. He blushed and looked away, clearing his throat uncomfortably.

"Anyways…have you told Persephone your little theory yet?" he asked.

"Not yet. I've been going over some books on blood spells, connections, power, that sort of thing. I'll tell her tomorrow though, or tonight, depending on when Ares let's us go," she sighed. "She knows about us sharing dreams though. I think Ares told her."

"She knows? And I'm still alive?" Archie half joked. He was scared she was going to pop up suddenly, Queen of the Dead and all, and start flaying him alive. Theresa giggled as he paled.

"She knows, but she's not too happy. She's not sure how it happened either. Maybe because of the power increase…?" Theresa shrugged. Archie relaxed in his chair, relieved but still wary. He jumped as the bell rang suddenly, earning more laughter from Theresa. It was good to hear it again after more than a week without it, and Archie found himself wanting to hear it more often. He scowled as they stood, leaving the library for class.

"Ugh class. Why can't the year be done yet?" he moaned, dragging his feet. Theresa rolled her eyes at him.

"Oh come on Archie, two more weeks. I think we can live till then," she smiled, patting him on the shoulder as they reached her class. "See you in art."

He gave her a sulky frown before wandering off to gym class, looking forward to art already. The frown fell away though, replaced by the smallest of smiles. Happy now that she was talking to him once again, and ignoring Jay, Archie didn't even mind when his annoying little conscience decided to pop up.

_**Hey man…you do realize you haven't figured out why it's you she's sharing her dreams with yet. I mean, why not Jay or somebody else? **Who cares? I'm glad it's not Jay, he'd probably overreact and lock her up or something, knowing him. That, or she'd kill him. **Hmm, good point. But still….**Well, I'll ask her again in class alright? Geez, leave me alone already, I almost just got hit with a basketball. **Oh, I'm soooo sorry. Am I distracting you? **Yes! **Okay, one last thought then. **Make it good. **…Theresa's breasts. **You son of a-!_

And thus, Archie was smacked in the head with a basketball. Needless to say, he was once again a little grumpy when art class rolled around. He slumped into his seat across from Theresa, frown on his face. She gave him a curious look.

"I hate basketball," was all he said. Theresa just laughed and shook her head as she settled into her chair, pulling out the old sketch of Archie she had started. Archie glanced over at her as she started humming softly, the tune slightly familiar though he couldn't quite place it. His eyes slowly drifted down her body and he mentally smacked himself as he caught himself staring at her chest again. _Damn it all!_

Theresa however, also caught him staring, not that he noticed. Her face reddened as she realized why he had been so fidgety the day after their fight, in the cafeteria. She quickly looked back at her sketchbook as Archie looked up, not wanting to embarrass him by catching him in the act. Because knowing Archie, he would get embarrassed, and then angry, and then just plain defensive. And that was not an Archie she felt like dealing with just then. She smiled gently down at the picture as she softly rubbed her finger against the sharp black lines.

Idly sketching random things in his own book, Archie quietly studied the girl across from him, deciding to admire the delicate features of her face, rather than just her body. He smiled slightly as her face scrunched up in concentration, and began sketching her as she sat there. Comfortable silence fell over the two as they spent the period fleshing out pencil sketches of each other, catching quick, secret glances when the other wasn't looking. Neil raised an eyebrow at this, paying close attention to them while pretending to be gazing into his mirror. An art that he had perfected over the years. Having people think you were nothing but a dumb, narcissistic blond could be very handy sometimes. Not that he wasn't quite vain, but that was just a given.

_Hmm what do we have here? Could those two possibly be getting over their respective crushes on Jay and Atlanta? And, stranger even, getting them on each other? _Neil fought to hold back an undignified snort of laughter as Theresa glanced over at Archie, nibbling on her bottom lip. They had certainly been getting far more friendly with each other of late, and now sharing dreams? _Man, Jay must be sooooo jealous, no wonder he was such a dick last week. And now Theresa's avoiding him….man life is never boring around here!_

And, Neil being Neil, his luck held out and soon life was made even less boring by the gods. The bell rang, as it usually did, and the teens slowly made their way to their lockers, leisurely putting things away and chatting while waiting for the halls to clear. Soon enough, they were the only ones left and they crossed through the portal to the gods domain. Archie hung back with Theresa, talking about their art studios while Jay led them into the gym, Ares in his usual spot. Neil smirked as he glanced back at them, putting his mirror away carefully before Ares called them into line in his booming voice, seeming disgruntled about something.

"Alright, settle down! There's some changes that are going to take place that you all need to know about," Ares ordered, immediately catching their attention.

"What kind of changes Ares?" Jay asked immediately, wary of the scowl on the war god's face.

"Important ones," he replied, beginning to pace in front of the team. The large god sighed in exasperation, running a hand roughly over his face. "Concerning your teamwork. You all work well enough with each other in different situations, but you're not getting enough concentrated training time. So your mentors and I have decided to try something new. Once school is out, you'll be moving in here, make it easier for lessons to occur. And you'll be partnered up."

"Partnered up?" Archie asked, bemused look on his face. His mentor stopped in front of him and looked down at the smaller mortal.

"That's right boy. No doubt you all realize you each play a certain role in this team, and with that role comes specialities of sorts. The partnerships will not only help strengthen the bonds of the team, but allow you to grow in other areas as well. Such as your ability with weaponry, Archie, or Atlanta's hunting skills," Ares explained in an abnormally patient tone. "You'll be living together, eating, sleeping, breathing one another, learning from each other. You will learn to adjust and become stronger for it. Do I make myself clear?!"

"Yes sir!" they all answered, some a little less enthusiastic than others. Theresa sighed and shifted her hips, arms crossing over her chest. She wondered who she would be partnered with. _Please don't let it be Jay, please, please, please….._She glanced down the line toward her leader, a small concentrated frown on his face. She quickly looked away as Ares spoke again.

"Good. Now, your partners," he stood in front of them, appraising them one by one, and once more wondering how well this plan of Hera's was going to pan out. "First off, yes I realize there are seven of you. Odie, you will not be partnered with any one of the others. Rather, you'll be learning from, and teaching, all of them. Hermes is having a special room added for you, a sort of technological play room, if you will. Hopefully you can come up with some new gadgets of yours, while learning all you can about physical fighting from the others."

The younger boy looked somewhat placated by this, though perhaps a bit left out at not being partnered up. He glanced around at his team mates. _Though really, would I be able to handle living in close quarters with any of them? Like Neil…._Odie suppressed a shudder and instead gave Ares a small smile of acceptance. _So maybe being on my own won't be such a bad thing._

"Atlanta," Ares called out next, almost regretfully as the fiery girl perked up. _Oh, I hope I'm with Archie or Theresa. Or maybe Herry._ He almost felt sorry for her. "You'll be with Neil."

A deafening silence fell over the room as Atlanta stood frozen, Neil sparing her a cursory glance. Theresa stared at her friend, reaching out to poke her gently, wondering if she had passed out while standing up. The rest simply blinked in shock. _Atlanta and…Neil? _Theresa's poke seemed to work.

"E-excuse me?! I'M with NEIL?! Wh-what the…what the he-" Atlanta spluttered in rage, her shaking hand pointing accusingly at the innocent blond next to her.

"Well you know, you're no great joy either," he smirked down at her, his mind working furiously to think of all the ways he could tease an annoy her. An idea popped into his head, and he let his eyes wander very openly down her body. "Hey Ares, you said we get to sleep with our partners?"

"Not like that Neil!!" The response was thundering in the gym. Neil shrugged and pulled out his mirror, pouting into it. He winked down at the trembling redhead.

"We'll see about that," he grinned. Atlanta looked ready to turn him into a pile of bloody mush. Ares sighed and shook his head. Onto the next pair.

"Jay," he called out. Their leader straightened, thinking subconsciously, _please be Theresa… _"You'll be with Herry."

Jay's shoulders sagged slightly, almost imperceptibly as he turned to Herry, smile on his face. The large boy grinned broadly back at him, clearly happy with the arrangement. _Well, at least I'm not with Neil. But that means Theresa's…_

"Which leaves the two of you," Ares said, coming to stand in front of Archie and Theresa, thoughtful look on his face as he sized them up. The two exchanged curious glances. "The Fighter and the Warrior. Things should be quite interesting in the next few weeks. I expect to have great results from the two of you, especially, seeing as you will be under my tutelage. Don't disappoint me."

With that Ares turned to leave, a clear dismissal in their eyes. Turning to leave, they paused as he spoke again, back still turned to the group.

"I would suggest you start spending time with your partners now. And little witch…I would watch how I moved, if I were you," he said evenly, glancing over his shoulder, warning glint in his eyes as they met with Theresa's. She stared back evenly, unafraid of the war god's subtle threats. She arched one delicate eyebrow at him and left the building.


	7. Chapter the Seventh

**A/N: Woohoo!!! Chapter 7, at last! It's amazing, I know. I have to say, there's a lot of dialogue in this chapter, but I really, really like how the ending turned out. I dunno, you guys tell me what you think, since I don't usually write action scenes. But ya! Hope you all like it, looking forward to your reviews, as always! Hugs!**

**A New Twist**

**Chapter the Seventh**

Archie scowled as he walked out of the school, Theresa trailing slightly behind him, silent as she contemplated Ares' parting words. Archie glanced at her, slowing down to match her pace. He didn't like the way Ares had threatened her, slight or not. And now they were partners? _What is that all about anyways? I mean, Neil and Atlanta? Ya, that will really improve team unity, if they don't kill each other first._

Theresa stared ahead, slightly amused by Neil and Atlanta's antics. The blond was simply asking to be beaten by the fiery young girl, who couldn't believe how bad her luck was. _That's almost…ironic, in a way. _She tried not to snort as Neil ruffled Atlanta's hair, earning a wild punch. Which, thanks to his amazing luck, completely missed it's target. Atlanta yelled in frustration and stomped off to Herry's truck. She giggled slightly and glanced up at Archie, wondering how he was taking this. She blinked and flushed in surprise as her gaze met his steady one, his eyes studying her intently. She shivered involuntarily beneath the piercing gaze and opened her mouth to say something when she suddenly remembered.

"Oh shoot, I was supposed to go see Persephone," she frowned, smacking her forehead lightly as she turned back to the school. Archie smiled and shook his head as he turned with her.

"Mind if I join you? I was thinking maybe I could get a little light shed on these dreams of yours that have been invading my sleep," Archie smirked down at her. "And maybe, after, we can talk about…this."

"Sure Arch. But I'm not going to protect you from Persephone," Theresa smiled up at him.

"Hey guys, hurry up!" Herry called from his truck. Archie waved dismissively.

"We've got stuff to do, you guys go," he called back as he and Theresa went to enter the school again. He wasn't sure, but he could have sworn he caught a jealous glare on Jay's face. _I think this partner stuff may be a little more than fun. __**No arguments there.**_ Archie and his…conscience shared an inner evil laugh. He lowered his hand to the small of Theresa's back, again unconsciously, as he followed her through the portal of the gods. She blushed slightly, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips, as she glanced up at him through lowered eyelashes. He didn't seem to notice, which suited her just fine. They walked in a comfortable silence to Persephone's room, each wondering their own stray thoughts. Like, if they could get any more information out of Persephone on the whole partner thing.

They reached her room soon enough and Theresa quietly pushed open the large doors, Archie following a bit hesitantly. He wasn't sure if Persephone was going to be angry or nice, and he didn't exactly feel like suffering her wrath if it turned out to be the former. Theresa gave him a small smile and wandered over to the cushions in the middle of the room. Persephone glanced up from watering her flowers and gave the pair a soft smile. Sighing, she checked her roses one more time before joining the teens, giving Archie a cursory glance, noting in amusement how he paled as their gazes met briefly. Archie seemed to sense her amusement, and his foolhardy pride came rushing back full force, his shoulders setting squarely as he crossed his arms, standing behind Theresa. Persephone sat and gestured to an empty cushion.

"Please Archie, sit down and rest," she offered gently, deciding that she would keep her peace for the time being. Her eyed her warily, suspicious, but sat slowly as Theresa nudged his leg, giving him an encouraging smile. He scooted slightly closer to her, arms still crossed as he looked around the room nonchalantly. _Damn there's a lot of flowers in here. Good thing I don't have allergies…_

"So, what can I help the two of you with today? It wouldn't happen to be concerning these dreams that I've only heard tell of, from Ares no less. Now would it?" Persephone prodded gently, raising an eyebrow at her flushing student.

"It does. I'm sorry Persephone, there were just some things I…had to think through, before I came to see you," Theresa bit her lip. _She's nervous…about Persephone?_ Archie's mouth twitched into a hint of a frown. "The dreams, and the lightning. I think they're connected to Cronus."

Archie watched Persephone as she took in what Theresa was saying. She nodded calmly, thoughtfully.

"It's a very good possibility that your lineage, your bloodline has allowed you to develop certain attributes that could be traced back to him. But that doesn't necessarily mean they're dangerous, so long as you learn to properly harness them," Persephone mused. "For now they're unstable and unpredictable, but we will work to correct that. I've already thought about this, and I admit, it is part of the reason for your partnership. Along with the dreams."

"Yeah, about those," Archie said gruffly, feeling brave enough to speak up. "So we kinda know why she's having them, being psychic and related to Cronus and all that. But what I don't get is why she's sharing them with me, specifically. She hasn't shared them with anybody else."

"Of that, I'm unsure. You are left handed, are you not Archie?" Persephone asked abruptly. Archie blinked at the sudden change of topic.

"Uhh, yeah…" he muttered, confused look on his face as Persephone nodded again. A muscle under his eye twitched. _What the hell does that have to do with anything?_

"Left handed people usually start out as a twin in the womb. Twins tend to have latent psychic connections. So it's possible that out of the seven of you, you would be most receptive to Theresa's influence. Are you prominent in the dreams themselves?" the goddess explained absentmindedly.

"He is. It's always the two of us, close together while everyone else is a bit further away," Theresa added, flushing as she glanced quickly at Archie. "Well…except for the last one. The last one was…foreboding I suppose. He tried to save me but he couldn't…There was so much blood…"

Archie blinked, wide eyed with surprise as she trailed off into a whisper, eyes glazing over in memory. _Blood?! She's dreaming about blood? Why didn't I have that one too? __**Who cares, that's freaky! **_He frowned at his partner in concern as Persephone took her hand, patting it comfortingly.

"Dream visions do not always come true Theresa. They are different from your clairvoyant visions, which can show you what has already been. These ones can predict a possible outcome, but since you have a sense of what may happen, you can take steps to change that future. I'm glad you two were put together now, knowing the nature of your dreams," Persephone sighed as she let go of Theresa to pour tea for the pale girl. Archie absentmindedly took the cup that was offered, carefully watching Theresa. "And it would explain why you're sharing her dreams Archie. If your future paths should cross in such a manner…she will need your protection. It's good that you two are partnered. You can build trust, learn from each other, move fluidly together."

"Is that why we've been partnered up? To work more efficiently as partners, rather than a whole team?" Archie asked, sniffing suspiciously at his tea. Theresa smiled indulgently at him.

"It's only chamomile tea Archie. It won't kill you," she whispered. He scoffed at her, glaring at his cup before taking a tentative sip. Persephone smiled and stood.

"You're right Archie. You all work well enough as a whole, but you can all stand to learn things from each other. Take Neil and Atlanta for example. Neil needs to learn how to fight. And how to keep quiet. Atlanta is perfect for that. But she has a wild temper, and she's easily set off. Neil is not, so hopefully some of his calm demeanour will rub off on her," Persephone explained, taking up her watering can once more. The pair behind her nodded slowly, Archie still wary of his tea. Theresa giggled at him, feeling slightly more comforted by the fact that he would be there with her, whatever may come. "Although both of you need to control your tempers. Hopefully you won't beat it out of each other in training."

"Don't worry Persephone. I'm sure Archie can be somewhat tamed," Theresa smirked at her partner. "Or at the very least, house broken."

" 'Scuse me?" Archie twitched as she laughed, and glanced over at Persephone. "Speaking of houses…where exactly are we gonna be living once school's out? Ares said we'd be here in the school, but where? Unless you guys have made us a magical hall of our own."

"No Archie, I'm afraid not," the goddess smiled down at him. "You two will be staying just off this solarium. You'll have quarters there, similar to what you have now. But don't worry about that for now. School is still in for another two weeks, and then you're having your graduation. I should think you would be more concerned with that. So off you go. Relax, have fun for this little while you have left."

That said, Persephone shooed them out of her solarium, cajoling them to go out, have fun and not worry about what the summer would bring. Archie shrugged and walked away from the room, hands shoved deep in his pockets as he silently observed Theresa beside him. She was gnawing her lip again. Archie sighed.

"Come on Theresa, you heard Persephone. Don't worry about things, I'm sure they'll all work out in the end," he tried to reassure her. He was sure that was something girls liked to hear…from some stupid movie or another. She looked up at him, concern filling her eyes and…amusement?

"It's not that," she sighed as they left the school, heading for the brownstone. Archie raised an eyebrow.

"It's not? Then what's wrong?" he demanded, arms crossing. Theresa arched an eyebrow at him in return.

"Weren't you listening to Persephone? We only have two weeks until graduation. And I still don't have a dress!" she exclaimed, shaking her head at him. Archie stared at her a moment before bursting into laughter.

"That's it? Man, I will never understand girls!" he laughed as he opened the front door, allowing her to go in first. Herry poked his head into the hall.

"Hey guys. You're just in time," he greeted them enthusiastically. The pair exchanged glances and wandered into the kitchen to find everyone already gathered there. Atlanta still looked murderous.

"In time for what? What's going on?" Theresa asked, leaning against the counter. Archie stood next to her, their arms brushing slightly. Jay sighed and rubbed his neck as he took in his team.

"Look, this might be what the gods want us to do, but I want to make sure you guys are all okay with these partnerships. The last thing we want, or need, is something breaking up this team," Jay began, pacing across the kitchen. "I'm not sure exactly what they're trying to accomplish, but if you guys are all comfortable with it, then maybe we should give it a try."

"I think the only person who has a problem is Lanta," Archie smirked at his pouting friend. She scowled and turned her back on him.

"Damn right I do. No offence, but NEIL? Why am I stuck with him?" she demanded, shooting the blond a dirty look. He simply shrugged and pulled out his mirror, tiny smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. Jay sighed and turned to Archie and Theresa.

"What about you two? Are you going to be alright together?" he asked, eyeing Archie warily as he addressed Theresa. He was slightly surprised at the happy smile she gave him, glancing up at her stoic partner.

"We'll be just fine Jay. Persephone gave us an idea of why we're together when we went to see her. Don't worry, everything will work out. Right partner?" she smirked mischievously, nudging Archie with her hip. He grunted and glanced down at her.

"Only if you're ready for the beating of your life," he snorted as she shoved him away none too gently. "Cuz you know our tempers. And I don't take well to being house broken."

"We'll see who is beating whom soon enough. If I recall correctly, you lost last time," Theresa called as she left the kitchen, heading for her bedroom.

"Only cuz you cheated!! Dirty little fighter," Archie grumbled, moving into the living room. Flopping down on the couch, he flipped on the television, joined by the rest of the male team members. Atlanta stormed up the stairs after Theresa. "Stupid girls, cheating when they fight…Hmph. Kick her butt next time. Wait until she's thinking about her stupid dress."

Herry and Jay exchanged a glance as Archie grumbled to himself. Herry grabbed the remote from him and flipped randomly through the channels. Jay flopped down on the other couch.

"Her dress? Arch, are you sure you two are gonna be okay together? I don't want a repeat of the other day. You two killing each other isn't going to do anything for the good of the team," Jay warned.

"Yeah yeah I know. We won't do it again…least we'll try not to. And yeah, dress, grad's coming up in two weeks. She's more worried about not having a dress than any of this partner crap," Archie rolled his eyes. "Girls, eh? Weird."

"Oh my god!" Neil cried, bolting upright. The rest looked at him, startled. "She's right! What are we gonna wear? And more importantly, who are we gonna bring?! We need dates, people, dates!"

"Why are you freaking out Neil? When do you ever not have a date already lined up?" Archie snorted. The blond stood quickly, walking over to the stairs.

"I don't have one lined up though! And I don't have an outfit! This is a disaster!" he called down the stairs, his door soon slamming shut. The remaining four shrugged.

"Well I'm more worried about just graduating. But with his luck…" Archie scowled.

"I'm more worried about…well, anything but that," Jay sighed, leaning back.

"Well we aren't graduating, so we have nothing to worry about," Odie smirked as Herry finally settled on a channel. Jay looked over at him, surprised.

"Yeah, but you guys still have to come. I mean, it wouldn't be the same without you, Herry and Atlanta," he pointed out, Archie nodding along with him.

"Sorry to say it man, but you guys gotta come," he agreed. Herry shrugged, paying more attention to the television.

"Sure. Whatever. Now shh," he hushed them. The room fell silent as they all either watched the program or got lost in their thoughts.

"Ugh," Atlanta sighed as she stomped into Theresa's room, shutting the door behind her. Flopping on the bed, she buried her face in a pillow. Theresa looked at her in amusement.

"That bad huh?" she tried not to laugh. Atlanta lifted her head to give the older girl a glare and sat up.

"I'm stuck with Neil. What do you think?" she huffed. Theresa shrugged and sat down next to her. "Man this sucks. I don't know how I'm going to survive being with Neil twenty four hours a day. I'm gonna have to dump Damien too."

"Why?" Theresa blinked in surprise.

"Pfft, come on Theresa. I'm going to have to spend all my time with Neil, not to mention live with him at the school. I can't exactly explain a situation like this to Damien," Atlanta scoffed. "Besides the last thing I need is some jealous boy acting all macho around me. He was fun, but hey. We've got a world to save right?"

"I suppose so…" Theresa murmured, almost feeling sorry for the boy. He had seemed quite taken with Atlanta, not that the young girl seemed to notice. "Are you going to do it soon, or once school's done?"

"I think I'll do it tomorrow, after school maybe. No sense dragging it out when I just want to end it. Wouldn't be very fair to him," Atlanta sighed. Theresa shook her head and sighed.

"No I suppose not. And just think, it will give you more bonding time with Neil," she grinned cheekily, laughing as Atlanta shoved her with her foot. "Or at the very least, we can go dress shopping."

"Dress shopping? God, I don't know who's worse, you or Neil. Although, he'll probably want to go too. Why are we going dress shopping?" Atlanta muttered, throwing her arm over her eyes.

"Graduation's in two weeks."

"Theresa. I'm not graduating," Atlanta said slowly, earning a poke.

"I know that. But you're still coming. It wouldn't be the same without you," Theresa pouted, bouncing lightly on the bed. She smiled down at her friend's disgruntled form. _It's too bad we weren't partnered together. That would have been fun. Poor Atlanta, I hope she and Neil learn to get along. Maybe he will be good for her temperament._

"Ugh, if I have to," Atlanta heaved a sigh, trying to hide her smile.

"You do. Now go do your homework like a good little girl so we can go shopping tomorrow," Theresa pushed her off the bed. She grumbled but left the room anyways. Theresa smiled and lay down on her bed, staring out the skylight in her roof, ready to just close her eyes and relax. But the soft knocking on her door said otherwise. "Just do it Atlanta!"

"I would if I were her. And knew what you were talking about," Archie grinned, pushing open her door. "Mind if I come in?"

"Oh, uh sure. Sorry, thought you were Atlanta trying to avoid her homework," Theresa blushed sheepishly. She patted the mattress next to her. "Have a seat. What can I do for ya?"

Archie sighed and flopped down next to her, laying on his back to stare up at the skylight. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, breathing in the scent of Theresa that surrounded him. It was…relaxing. He smiled and opened his eyes to find said redhead leaning over him, hair spilling onto his chest. He blinked in surprise as another strand fell gently on his cheek, making Theresa blush and move away. Archie caught a faint hint of lavender as she moved. _Nice… _He smirked and turned his head to look at her, thoughtful look on his face.

"Are you sure you're okay with this Theresa? You heard Ares, we're gonna be around each other constantly, non-stop me and you," he asked, crossing his arms behind his head. Theresa watched him a moment, biting gently on her lip. Scrunching up her face, she flopped down next to him.

"I think so…I mean, it can't be that much worse than how we live now right? Aside from the constant togetherness…Maybe, if we just try to get along, you know, get used to each other..." Theresa sighed and glanced over at Archie. He smirked and propped himself up on one elbow.

"Well, as long as you aren't a drama queen 24/7, then I think I can handle you," he grinned, earning a scowl and a shove from the redhead. She forgot, however, that he was leaning above her and squeaked in shock as he fell on top of her. They lay in silence a moment, Archie moving quickly from stunned to panicked as he felt his hand rest on something soft. _Oh god, oh god, oh god. Please tell me that isn't…__**her breast. Good aim. **__Oh god!_

"Um Arch? Think you can…get off of me now?" Theresa's muffled voice asked, her face buried in his shoulder. _That's definitely his hand on my chest. _He rolled off quickly, bolting up as he looked away from her. A smile tugged at her lips as she noticed how red his ears were turning, a light blush covering her own face. "Are you blushing Archie? Aww how cute!"

Archie scowled and stood, shoving his hands in his pockets. His face felt like it was going to melt, it was so hot. He glanced back at Theresa, still giggling and red faced on the bed.

"Oh shut up. You're the one who shoved me," he grumbled. Theresa grinned slyly and quietly stood behind him, creeping closer silently. He was staring sheepishly down at his feet, scowling pout still on his face. She let loose a giggle and pounced. Archie let out a cry of surprise as she suddenly jumped on his back, legs about his waist and arms twined around his neck. "Aah! What are you, a monkey?! Get offa me Theresa!"

"GUYS!" Jay's voice effectively cut off nay response she had. "It's Cronus, let's go!!"

Sliding off of Archie's back, the pair quickly bolted down the stairs and outside into Herry's truck, tires squealing as they pulled away. Jay turned from his seat in the front to look at them all, Odie next to him in Theresa's usual seat.

"Abandoned warehouse by the docks. Hermes said there was suspicious activities going on down there, ones that no normal human could be involved in," he explained to his team, earning an eye roll from Neil.

"What is it with bad guys and creepy old warehouses?" he asked as he fixed his hair. Shrugs and grumbles were his only reply as Herry sped down the road, slowing to a stop when the 'creepy' warehouses came into sight. Pulling off to the side, Herry stopped the truck and they all tentatively emerged, shoulders tensed. Jay motioned for them to remain silent as they moved forward, further into the docking area to look for any sign of Cronus. The entire area was eerily silent for a dock, no bird calls ringing throughout the air, no rats squeaking out their claims. Theresa shivered as they moved into a large open parking area, not liking how exposed they were. The shiver turned into an electric bolt burning up her spine and she reached forward to Archie.

"Down!" she shouted as she shoved him to the ground, following after. They all dropped quickly, reflexes acting almost instinctively. And not a split second too soon as a bolt of red-black energy hurtled past them and into the warehouse, the ground tremoring from the resulting explosion.

"My, my, Theresa. Effective timing, as always my dear," Cronus sneered as he stepped out of the shadows surrounding him. Theresa shot him a glare as they rose to their feet, weapons now drawn and bodies ready. This earned them a condescending laugh from the god of Time as he stood relaxed before them, calculating look in his eyes.

"What do you want now Cronus? And I'm not 'your dear'," Theresa spat, nun chucks clenched tightly in her fists. He turned his menacing look to her, a leering grin covering his face.

"Oh but you are. So very, very dear," he said sinisterly, stepping closer to them. He stretched out one hand, palm up as another small ball of flame flickered to life. "Tell me, Theresa dear…can you dodge all that I shall send you?"

The meaning behind his words barely had time to register as they were once more dodging for their lives, leaping for any cover they could find as Cronus hurled the flame at them, fire exploding over the ground. Theresa grunted in pain as she landed heavily beside Archie and Odie behind a nearby dumpster. She couldn't see the rest of her team mates, but she knew they were unharmed and close by. She saw Archie glance around the corner of the trash bin and crawled over to him, pausing to rest a reassuring hand on Odie's shoulder. He gave her a weak smile in return.

"Archie? What can you see?" she whispered in her partner's ear. He remained crouched, stealing more quick glances at their surroundings. He sighed irritably.

"Not a whole lot. Too much fire all over the place," he grumbled, squinting as the flames roiled and danced. He tensed as they parted slightly. "Wait…Cronus is still standing there…I think if we can time it right, we can get him. Odie, see if Jay can get an opening too."

As the younger boy did as was asked, Theresa shuffled forward a bit more, peeking over Archie's shoulder. Sure enough, Cronus stood there amidst the flames, arms crossed and eyes closed. A smug smirk covered his face and Theresa glared. _Arrogant bastard. I'll wipe that smirk off your face, I swear…_ She turned as Odie poked her back.

"He thinks they can get through, but as far as a coordinated strike goes…It's chancy at best. We're on our own when we get an opening," he muttered nervously. Theresa nodded and gave him a warm smile.

"Good enough I guess. Archie and I will take our chance. You stay here and let the others know when we go, alright?" she ordered, refusing to hear any arguments from him. Odie sighed and nodded, earning an affectionate hair ruffling from the older girl before she turned back to Archie. "You ready for this? Partner?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," a wild smirk already adorned his face, and she knew he was loving this. Adrenalin rushed through her veins, heart pumping with excitement, anticipation and slight fear. She squeezed his shoulder gently as they waited for the flames to part….There!

All Archie could feel the moment he burst forward was the rush of heated flame and cool wind against his body as he sprinted forward, knowing without looking that Theresa followed behind him, unafraid of the fire licking at their heels. He grinned as he unleashed his whip, springing up behind Cronus silently. He brought his arm back, muscles coiled tightly, ready to be sprung as his arm whipped forward again, cool metal following his actions precisely. A flicker in the corner of his eye proved to be the rest of his team mates, having found an opening of their own. The rest of his vision was filled with the leering face of Cronus, Time seeming to freeze just as his whip was about to reach him, and then he was hurtling through the air. The pain barely seemed to register as he landed roughly, rolling over and over through the now flameless parking area.

Theresa watched wide eyed as the flames flickered once more and disappeared, Archie's body landing where they had once been. Knots coiled in her stomach as he landed and lay sprawled, motionless on the now cold ground. Her eyes stung and she snapped her gaze back to Cronus, glaring death in her eyes. She could feel the anger rising in her body and sapphire was beginning to cloud her vision. Forcing the raw anger down her arms, she carelessly dropped her weapon and charged at him silently, the only sound being the crackling of lightning covering her body. His blood red eyes glinted in appreciation, surprise, amusement…so many things, Theresa could not name them all. All but the one thing she wanted to see in them. Fear.

Cronus grin madly as she reached him, lightning charged arm swinging forward towards his face and he almost blithely reached for her. Her body slammed to a stop as he caught her easily by the neck, forcing her up and off the ground. Her legs dangled uselessly as he raised her face to his, crimson meeting emerald in a heated gaze. The blue sparks began to fade as he tightened his grip on her throat, squeezing the air from her lungs. Theresa choked, gasping for breath as black spots danced in her vision, and she reached desperately for her anger. Her fingers curled tightly into his arm, blue sparks flickering waveringly. Smoke rose slightly as the current dug into the Time god's skin.

He sneered and brought her close to him, his lips against her ear. Theresa paused in her struggle to be free as he whispered something for her ears only.

"You are growing so very fast my darling. Such power in such a young body. I look forward to seeing how far it will take you, before your body is consumed by it. And then…you shall be mine," he murmured, his voice like velvet acid against her senses. He chuckled mirthlessly before throwing her harshly to the ground, a portal opening behind him. "Until then. My dearest, dearest grandchild!"

Theresa gasped for air as his words floated away on the cool breeze now coming off the ocean, clearing away the smoke. Her vision was still blackening, her body weakened, and she could spare only one thought before the darkness claimed her.

_Archie…_


	8. Chapter the Eighth

A/N: Yay, jennieman is back. And with a brand new chapter for you to all enjoy. Seriously guys, it's a good thing I'm taking spring courses at the university, otherwise I never would have written this lmao. Class is just sooooo boring that instead of taking notes, like a good little student, I wrote this for y'all. And started on chapter nine, so that might go up next week too lol. So I hope you like it, it's not really adventure or plot filled, but it does have lots of fluff. Because I love it and can't get enough of it. Okay? Okay. Remember, R & R and gimme some luv!

**A New Twist**

**Chapter the Eighth**

Theresa sighed and winced as she slowly opened her eyes and blinked._ What happened? Where am I? _She could hear voices murmuring somewhere close by, and struggled to sit up. Her throat burned painfully and she couldn't help but groan as she tried to swallow. The voices stopped suddenly and then Jay was there next to her, helping her to sit up.

"Careful Theresa, slowly," he propped some pillows up behind her and she lay back on them with a sigh. Her head was starting to pound, her vision slightly blurry. She glanced up at Jay, a worried and tense look on his face. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth before her brow furrowed into a frown. _Why is he worried? I'm in Chiron's study…but I don't know why? I can't remember…_

"What happened?" she whispered hoarsely, wincing and putting a hand to her throat. Atlanta handed her a glass of water and exchanged a startled glance with Jay.

"You don't remember? Cronus?" he asked. Theresa frowned deeper, trying to think, _Cronus…Cronus…yes, we were fighting Cronus, and there was fire, and then-_

"Archie!!" she cried and bolted up, spilling her water. Atlanta took the cup and tried to calm her down. Theresa's nails dug into her arm as she struggled against the closing pressure in her throat. "Is he alright? Was he hurt?"

"Ugh, I'm fine. But you're too damn noisy, Drama Queen. Let a guy sleep would ya?" Archie's voice was groggy and Theresa glanced past Atlanta to see him lying in a bed next to hers. She relaxed slightly and gave him a quick once over. His torso was bare save for the bandages wrapped around his abdomen and right side. Where the skin wasn't slightly pink it was blue with bruises and scrapes. Archie gave Theresa a sleepy smirk and shifted a bit to look over at her better. "Bout damn time you woke up. Lazy."

Theresa glared half-heartedly and lay back on her pillows, relieved and worried at all once.

"Well excuse me," she rasped huffily. Jay frowned sternly at her and pressed another cup into her hand, tea this time.

"Enough talking, you need to let your throat heal. Here, Persephone said to give it to you when you woke up. She said it would help," he explained as she sipped and made a face. The tea was very bitter. Theresa sighed and continued drinking it though, knowing how unhappy Persephone would be if she didn't.

"Tastes like shit doesn't it?" Archie piped up. Theresa tried not to choke as she drank and laughed at the same time. She smiled and nodded as she took a smaller sip. Archie smirked as he tried to keep his eyes open. He yawned. "Yeah, Persephone made me drink it too. Practically shoved it down my throat. Make me better my ass. How bout some sugar? That'll make me feel better. Bad enough I'm all itchy and can't scratch and it's hot…but nooo, no sugar. Sugar nazi…"

Theresa raised an eyebrow and tilted her head toward him as he drifted off to sleep. Atlanta smiled and pulled a sheet over him gently, covering him to the waist. She came over and sat on the bed next to Theresa.

"Chiron drugged him up a bit to help with the pain. He's got some burns and bruises, but nothing too bad," she murmured quietly and Theresa sighed in relief. Atlanta smiled and fixed her blanket, fussing slightly. "And you're gonna be stuck on liquid foods for the next little while. Cronus bruised you up pretty good, and unfortunately not all of us have Archie's uncanny healing abilities. He should be fine by the end of the week."

Theresa gave a small noise of what could have been agreement and wiggled down into her pillows, guessing that they were both stuck there for the night. Atlanta smiled and stood, giving her a hug before checking on Archie one last time. Jay gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze and smiled softly down at her.

"Get some rest, and try not to talk, alright?" he said and she nodded with a small smile. A tiny, fluttering twinge danced in her stomach and she frowned as they left. _So he was worried, big deal. It doesn't mean anything, and there are more important things to worry about. Like Cronus, and what exactly he wants with me. He knows my powers are growing, sounded so sure about it all. _She shivered and pulled her blanket tighter, glancing over at Archie. _And Archie got hurt this time. Some partners we are, I can't even keep him from being hurt. Half the time I'm the one hurting him, for Zeus' sake!_

Theresa curled up into a tight little ball as tears stung her eyes, feeling rather miserable. Her self berating, moody thoughts darkened and she tried to stifle her sniffling and shaky breaths.

Archie was drifting between awake and asleep, feeling quite surreal at the moment. He sighed as he drifted into waking and frowned, forcing his eyes to open. He could hear…crying?

"Theresa?" he asked quietly, still groggy. He glanced over at her bed, but it was hard to see in the semi-darkness. A single candle lit the cavernous room, but he could faintly make out a small lump on the bed. He sighed and smiled lightly as he heard a sniffle come from beneath the blanket. "Stop crying ya baby. Geez, nothing worse than hearing a girl crying."

"I'm sorry," she choked out, desperately trying to dry her tears. Archie rolled his eyes and shifted around in his bed.

"Don't be sorry. Honestly. Come here already," he patted the mattress beside him. Theresa blinked at him, tears stopping in momentary shock.

"What?" she asked hoarsely, her voice barely audible. Archie snorted as he felt himself getting sleepy again.

"You're just gonna keep cryin' until I hug you and tell you everything's okay, right? Or something like that. And I wanna sleep tonight, so get your butt over here," he commanded.

Theresa smiled and silently slid out of her bed, blanket dragging behind her. She padded over to his bed and sat down on his good side. He tugged at her, pulling her down against him. She smiled and curled up against his chest, and he put an arm around her, rubbing her back gently.

"Now isn't this way better?" he closed his eyes and yawned, ignoring how damp her cheek was as it pressed into his bare chest. He felt her nod, and smiled as his hand slowed, feeling sleep pressing upon him. He sighed and squeezed her tightly. "Good. Now sleep, and no dreams, if ya don mind…"

Theresa smiled as his voice slurred and he dropped off. She sighed and fingered his bandages gently, wondering how he knew just what she was thinking. Her hand rested on his chest, feeling the steady thumping of his heart. It was reassuring and Theresa laid her head gently in the crook of his shoulder, the heat from his body and burns lulling her to sleep.

_**Blood was pooling at her feet, swirling and mocking her. She shivered as a harsh wind blew, bringing with it a deep, evil laughter that was felt rather than heard. Panic was running its course in her veins, terror spreading through her body. Two red eyes glared at her from the darkness, and the laughter rumbled, growing louder until it was a jeering, high-pitched noise. The eyes burned her skin, blood surrounding her, and sudden pressure clamped down on her body. 'Now you're mine' a voice whispered hauntingly and suddenly a giant set of fanged jaws lunged at her.**_

They both woke with a cry, legs tangling together as they fought to be fully awake. Theresa sat up, panting and trembling as Archie lay groaning on the bed. Sweat beaded on her forehead and she brought a shaking hand up to wipe it away. Glancing back down at Archie, she flushed as he pinned his steely gaze on her.

"Have you had dreams like that before?" he demanded. She nodded and tore her eyes from his, laying back on the bed. Curling her legs up, she waited for her heart to stop pounding, and Archie to look away from her. He finally shook his head and sighed. "That's…just not right."

"You're telling me," she sighed. Archie grunted as he lifted his arm to wrap around her, pulling her into him with a squeeze. Theresa smiled slightly and let herself relax against him.

"Theresa…I want you to tell me, from now on, when you have a dream. Alright?" Archie asked softly, looking down at her tousled head. "We're partners now…I need to know if you're alright. We need to be able to trust each other."

"I do trust you Archie," Theresa murmured, raising her head to look him in the eye. They lay there, holding each others gaze a few moments. The clip-clopping of hooves broke the silence and they glanced at the door as Chiron entered the room. Theresa flushed and pulled away from Archie's embrace.

Her heart was still pounding.

"Ah, awake I see. How are you both feeling this morning? Less pain?" If Chiron noticed either of their flushing faces, or that Theresa still sat on Archie's bed, he showed no interest. Leaning down, he tilted Theresa's chin up, examining her neck. He nodded and patted her on the shoulder. "Good, good. You're free to go my dear. Just try to eat mainly soft things for the next few days."

She nodded and stood slowly, walking back to her bed to fold up her blanket. She watched through lowered lashes as Chiron helped Archie to sit up, unwrapping his bandages. Theresa's eyebrows rose in surprise as they came off, leaving his torso bare. It looked merely like a horrible sunburn, deep red with only a few patches of peeling skin. Chiron was quick to slather a poultice on the burns and wrap Archie back up, questioning him on how he felt. Theresa placed the folded blanket on the bed and turned to face them. Archie sighed as Chiron finally allowed him to leave, with instructions and a promise to come back everyday to have his bandages changed.

Theresa smiled as Archie rolled his eyes and stood with a wince. He grabbed the clean set of clothes that Atlanta had left beside his bed and glared at them in disdain, pondering how to comfortably wear them. Theresa rolled her eyes and grabbed them from him, throwing his tank top on the bed. She held out his hoodie, wondering just how many of them he owned…

"Just wear this for now. It'll be way more comfortable," she shook it at him. Archie shrugged and turned around, allowing Theresa to help him slip it on. She gently drew it up over his burned side, careful not to pull on any of the bandages. He sighed as she slipped around to his front, zipping him up. She smiled up at him, hands lingering.

"Ready for school now?" she asked cheekily. Archie grinned down at her, and brushed a hand gently over her neck.

"Ready as I'll ever be. But you might wanna cover those bruises with something. C'mon. We'll go home first," he said, grabbing her hand and turning to leave. She smiled and happily followed after him.

Lunch time rolled around, and Theresa glared down at her food. A bowl of watery soup and a jello cup. Thrilling. She sighed and looked up as somebody tugged on the bright bandana she had wrapped around her neck. Archie smirked and sat next to her, tray full of delicious, edible, real food. Theresa glared at him.

"Please, don't look so happy to see me. I can't stand it," Archie remarked dryly and dug into his sandwich, taking a large bite. He smirked at Theresa. "Mmmm. So damn good."

She felt her eye twitch and kicked his chair, turning away in disgust. She idly stirred her soup, wondering if she would actually find something in its murky depths. So far…all broth. She sighed and poked at her jello instead, hoping it was at least edible. Archie nudged her playfully as they were joined by the rest of their friends. Theresa gave him a questioning glance. He simply shrugged and nudged her again. She rolled her eyes with a smile and nudged him back. With a smirk she swiped the chocolate milk off his tray and sipped away at it, despite his protests. Atlanta smirked at the two, trying not to sigh as an unsuspecting Damien sat next to her.

Theresa raised her eyebrows at the other girl, and got a small shake accompanied by an eye roll. She laughed and choked on the milk, which Archie happily grabbed back. He scowled at his choking partner but shoved a cup of water towards her. It was gratefully downed. She gave him a smile and turned another quizzical look to a very tired, hassled looking Jay as he sat on her other side. He glanced at Damien and cleared his throat.

"Practice tonight guys. Gotta get that strategy set up and ready right?" he spoke casually, but Theresa bit back a groan of disappointment. She glanced at Archie and shook her head, knowing that Ares would probably be as relentless as usual. Herry picked up around a mouthful of burger.

"Yeah man, we need it if we wanna win," he said, not pausing in his eating at all. Damien looked interested.

"Practice for what?" he asked, earning an eye roll from Archie.

"Team secret," he drawled. Jay shot him a warning glance, which was completely ignored. Damien shrugged and nodded.

"That's cool. Gotta do what you gotta do to win," he agreed. They all breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed as conversation resumed around the table. Theresa took to playing with her soup again, wondering what Ares was planning for them. More specifically, for her injured partner. She pushed the bowl away with a sigh. As long as it wasn't too extreme…She glanced back at Jay, also slightly worried for her leader. He had a tendency to run himself ragged, blaming himself for things gone wrong, them getting hurt. He took it all too personally. Theresa felt a tug on her heart as he noticed her staring, and gave her a weary smile. She frowned slightly and turned away with a sigh. _He needs to take better care of himself, not worry about everything so much. It's worrying to the rest of us, not that we can say that, 'cause then __**he'll **__just worry about __**us**__ worrying…Arggh Jay, why do you have to be so frustrating?…why won't you let us in?_

Theresa sighed again as the bell rang and looked over at Jay once more. She stood and, with a smile, gently took his hand and gave him an affectionate squeeze. He looked down in surprise, blinking, before squeezing her hand back, smiling softly. Theresa felt her breath catch in her throat.

The fluttering was there again.

She dropped his hand and, gathering her books, quickly led the way to their English class. Neither she nor Jay noticed the narrowed, icy look Archie cast their way. He snorted disdainfully and left for class.

Art passed by quickly with Archie concentrating on finishing the sketch he had started of Theresa weeks earlier. He was annoyed with her, but it was better than scrapping it and starting another. She gave him curious glances but he ignored them, and took off to Ares' gym as soon as the bell rang. _Let her walk with Neil. I'm sure he has plenty to complain about._

Coming out of the locker room he found Atlanta already jogging around the track and the rest of his team just entering. Sure enough, Neil was complaining to Theresa. He ignored them as they went into the locker rooms, and went over to the punching bag. He needed to let out some of his frustration, burnt or not. He winced as his injured hand came in contact with the bag, burnt skin tightening and stretching.

"You're gonna hurt yourself, ya know," Atlanta's voice came from right behind him. Archie jumped slightly and glanced down at her, eyebrow raised.

"So?" he punched it again. Atlanta snorted and crossed her arms, moving into his line of vision. She gave him a 'you're-a-moron' look.

"So don't be stupid. Why are you mad anyways?" she asked. Archie sighed forcefully and paused. He shook his head and rested his hands on his hips.

"Theresa," he said, getting another 'look' from Atlanta. "Well, not her, in a way. It's this whole Jay/Theresa situation. She gets her hopes up when he decides to finally pay attention to her, for like two seconds, and then something will happen and he goes back to ignoring her. And then she gets confused and upset, and she cries, and…I don't like that. She's my partner, and I'm supposed to protect her. How'm I supposed to do that when he just…"

Atlanta listened to his rant with a frown, watching as Jay and Theresa came out of the locker rooms. She sighed and shook her head.

"I don't know but you're right. Maybe he doesn't realize it, but…he does keep hurting her. He needs to make up his mind about her, and either be with her, or stay the hell away. But maybe…you're just what she needs Arch," she grinned, ruffling his hair. He scowled and she gave him a serious look. "Just make sure you don't end up hurting her too. Take care of her, Archie."

He nodded absently as she left him standing there, and he turned back to the punching bag. He could see Jay out of the corner of his eye and he hit the bag viciously. _Stupid…jerk…damn it, Theresa just…ugh, let him go…he doesn't deserve you._ A soft, feminine gasp came from behind him, and he found his hand in Theresa's. She frowned at him and only then did he notice the stinging pain in his injured hand. He glanced down and noticed he was bleeding.

"Archie, what were you thinking? You shouldn't hurt yourself like this," she admonished gently, pulling him towards the benches. He let her, feeling numb as he stared at her. He sat and let her fuss with his bandages, patching up his split skin. Her hands felt cool as she rewrapped clean bandages around his hand. "Honestly Archie, you're hurt. Why were you trying to murder the punching bag, and with your injured hand, no less?"

"None of your business," he muttered tersely and caught the flash of hurt in her eyes. She shoved his hand back toward him, and he winced. She stood without looking down at him and crossed her arms.

"I thought we were supposed to trust each other," she murmured down at him, watching the others stretching out. He looked up at her, Atlanta's words ringing in his mind. He sighed and stood beside her, looking down at her thoughtfully, her fiery curls hiding her expression from him. He smiled softly and squeezed her shoulder gently.

"I know. Ignore me, I'm just…being me," he smirked as she finally looked up at him. She smiled softly and leaned into him for a moment. He could smell lavender on her…and then she was gone as Ares entered the room, yelling out instructions for them to grab their partners. He set Archie and Theresa to jogging on the track. He smiled though as they ran.

He could still smell lavender.

The rest of the day went fairly smoothly , though in Atlanta's opinion it was simply the beginning of hell on earth. She protested rather violently as Neil and Theresa dragged her away to go graduation shopping. She sat in the back of Theresa's car with a huff, letting the two in front babble on about styles and colours, and whatever. Or mostly, Neil babbled with a comment or two from Theresa.

"Tell me again, why I have to wear a dress? I get why I have to go, but in a dress?" Atlanta complained as they reached the mall. Theresa grinned at her.

"Because I love torturing you," she said simply. Neil nodded beside her. "Hey did you talk to Damien yet?"

"Yeah," Atlanta rolled her eyes. "I told him I was just too busy, and that it was fun and all. You know."

"You broke up with him?" Neil raised an eyebrow. Theresa nodded and pulled them into a shop.

"How did he take it?" she prodded, picking out a few dresses. She glanced over at Neil. "Shouldn't you be heading down to get fitted for a tux?"

"Hey now, I wanna hear the gossip too. We're partners now after all," Neil pouted, giving Atlanta a wink. She rolled her eyes with a smile and shrugged.

"I dunno, he was upset I guess. He didn't look happy in any case," she said uninterestedly. Neil held up a dress to her body, and threw it back in disgust.

"Hmm. You don't have a date now though," he mused, grabbing more dresses and following Theresa to the change rooms, where they shoved Atlanta in.

"So? Do I need one?" she asked, voice muffled as she stripped down. Neil shrugged, looking in his mirror.

"Only if you don't want to look like a loner loser who couldn't get one," he smirked, hearing a growl come from behind the door. He folded away the mirror and turned to leave. "Well I'm going to go get fitted now. Be back in a bit."

"Thank Zeus," Atlanta muttered as she opened the door. Theresa took one look and shook her head. Atlanta sighed and went back into the stall to try another one on. "Honestly Theresa, I hope you and Archie have better luck together. I mean, Neil's not **that** bad I suppose but…together, me and him? That can't end well."

"Oh, you never know Lan. He might surprise you. Hell, you might surprise yourself," Theresa mused as she scanned the racks, grabbing a few dresses for herself. "You'll just have to work at it. C'mon Lan, when do you ever back down from a challenge?"

"You raise a valid point," Atlanta laughed and sighed as she opened the door, looking at Theresa. "I'm just glad you're not with Jay."

Theresa stopped looking her over and gave her a surprised look.

"Why not?" she asked, getting a look from Atlanta. She shook her head.

"Because. He's just…not good for you Theresa. He upsets you," she shrugged. Theresa bit her lip and shifted her weight.

"I guess…" she whispered, wishing it wasn't true. She frowned. "He does confuse me, all the time. Things are so complicated with him, and I think…maybe I'm starting to not want those complications anymore."

"Good," Atlanta simply said. She turned around. "You deserve better. Now unzip me please."

Theresa smiled and did as she was asked. More dresses were tried on and finally bought without Neil returning. They found him flirting with a group of girls and dragged him away, despite his complaints of trying to find a date good enough for him, and do you know how hard that is? They just shook their heads and remained silent.

Archie watched idly as Odie and Herry played yet another video game, fighting desperately to win. He smirked as Odie lost, and wandered into the kitchen where Jay sat mulling over something. Archie chose to ignore him as he got himself some food, and smiled as he heard Theresa's car pull up in back. _Wonder how that went. If they managed to get Lanta to buy a dress, it'd be a miracle. __**Although…if Lanta has a dress and Neil is still alive…that would be even more amazing. **__Hmm, very true._

And it was amazing as Neil sauntered in unscathed, Atlanta trailing behind with a bag in hand. He watched, eyebrow raised, as they wandered upstairs bickering amiably. He gave Theresa a questioning glance. She shrugged and stole some of his food.

"I don't know what happened either. Maybe Lanta needs to shop more?" she laughed. Archie snorted.

"Yeah right Terri. Or maybe she's just finally lost it," he smirked and went to his bedroom. She followed with a huff and slumped down on his couch beside him. She sighed and leaned over, letting her head rest on his shoulder. He looked at her, surprised.

"Long day?" he asked, bemused. Theresa nodded against him.

"I was forcing our best friend into dresses. What do you think?" she mumbled, earning a laugh from Archie.

"Good point."

Silence reigned over the room for a few minutes as Archie ate, and Theresa allowed her eyes to explore his room. It was comfortable and surprisingly clean. The style reminded her of her own room, just one more thing they seemed to have in common. Though she found the sheer number of books to be a little overwhelming, and the punching bag in the middle of them a bit amusing.

"Atlanta broke up with Damien today," she announced softly, feeling Archie stiffen slightly beneath her. He relaxed a moment later.

"Oh yeah," he said, voice disinterested. Theresa tilted her head up to look at him, studying his reaction, of which he seemed to have nothing but impassivity.

"Yeah. Since she'll be with Neil so much now, she figured…" she sighed and turned her body towards him. "So you know…you could tell her now."

"Mm," Archie merely grunted, thinking it over. _I could tell her how I feel…but do I even want to bother? I mean…she's my best friend, and things are good that way. I doubt she would ever consider me to be more than that anyways…__**Do you even want to consider her more now?**__…I'm not so sure…_ He sighed and breathed in the reassuring scent of Theresa, companion in this twisted mess of jumbled feelings. _Things are getting way too complicated, anyways. I have Theresa to think about now, not just myself. Those dreams mean something…something's going to happen, and she'll need me. __**And what exactly are you going to do about that? **__Keep her safe. Anyway I can._

"Did you get your dress?" he asked, changing the subject. Theresa smiled and nodded, knowing not to push the subject of Atlanta anymore.

"But you can't see it until the dance," she said imperiously. Archie rolled his eyes.

"Oh, how will I ever live?" he drawled sarcastically. Theresa poked his side and he grabbed her hand, playing with her fingers.

"Theresa? Can I ask you something?" he asked seriously. Theresa blinked at the sudden change of mood and nodded, twining her fingers with his. "When they brought us in to Chiron, I kept drifting awake and I could hear them talking. Jay said that Cronus spoke to you, said something before he disappeared. Do you…remember what he said to you?"

Theresa held her breath and slowly nodded, temporarily forgotten fear seeping back into her bones. Her grip on Archie's hand tightened.

"He knows what's happening to me, knows how fast. He said…when it finally over takes me…I'll be his to use," she whispered, shuddering at the memory of his voice and her dream. Archie frowned and squeezed her hand.

"He can think that all he wants. But you forget one thing," he said and smirked arrogantly down at her. "He'll have to get through me first. And like I said, over my dead body."

Theresa smiled and untangled their hands to give him a hug. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed gently, mindful of his burns. He ruffled her hair playfully and let go, standing to move to his desk.

"So just you remember that next time he tries to threaten you. Now get outta here, I gotta study for our finals next week," he smirked as Theresa's eyes widened and she jumped off the couch.

"Shit, you're right. I need to study too. Damn it. Hey Odie! Can you help me with something?" she called as she left Archie's room. He smirked and shook his head, sighing as he opened his books. Graduation couldn't come soon enough, and he couldn't help but feel excited at what the summer would bring for them.


	9. Chapter the Ninth

A/N: Ehehehe…so, when I said a week for an update, you guys realized that I really meant like half a year, right? lmao, I'm sorry I'm so slow. I choose to blame writer's block for this one. But hey, at least it's up now right? Right guys?….please put down the pitch forks and burning torches…please?…..Right then, I'm running away to work on chappie ten runs with tail between her legs, whimpering Oh and on a side note, characters may be a bit OOC this chapter. XD enjoy the crack

**A New Twist**

**Chapter the Ninth**

Archie groaned as he stumbled outside, the bright sunlight burning his eyes. Odie shook his head as Archie sat next to him at one of the stone tables by the front entrance of the school. Archie glared at him.

"Lemme guess. You finished in the first half hour and almost died of boredom waiting for the hour to be up?" Archie smirked. Odie shot him a look.

"Of course man. Too easy, I keep saying it," he smirked, earning a look of disgust from Archie.

"Whatever man. I'm just glad that that was my last exam and I'm free now," he sighed, stretching his arms above his head. A sudden weight landed on his lap. "Ooof."

"Geez Arch, I'm not that heavy," Theresa giggled as he leaned back to glare at her. She gave him a pout and he rolled his eyes with a smile, moving forward to lean his elbows on the table. Theresa smiled as she remained on his lap, the warm sun on her face and Archie's breath light on her neck. The last week had been spent mainly studying, going to class and training, but somehow they managed to get some together time. Both were surprised at how comfortable they were growing with each other, but they still had bad fights every now and again.

Just the day before they had gotten into a screaming match, albeit it hadn't turned violent this time. Archie had found Theresa in the library again, in their corner, angry tears streaming down her face. Just another raised hope torn down, by Jay, again. His anger had simmered the rest of the afternoon until they were in the gym, and from there the fight quickly devolved into inanity, ending with Theresa demanding that he 'mind his own fucking business'. Needless to say, it wasn't a good night.

Archie sighed and rested his chin on her shoulder, idly listening to her chatting animatedly with Odie and Herry, who had just arrived. She had appeared before him that morning with an anxious, guilty smile and he had forgiven her. Her much happier smile alone was worth it, as was the hug he had gotten. Theresa, for her part, was simply glad that he still put up with her. She had laughed and shaken her head, saying she really was a Drama Queen.

Archie smiled and slipped his arms around her waist and squeezed gently, glad he was finally healed…and that Jay had just sat down next to them. Theresa tilted her head to smile at Archie and ruffled his hair, laughing at his mock scowl, not noticing the covetous glance Jay sent them.

_They're getting so close…was I wrong to push her away? Wrong to want her safe?…No, no it's better this way. I have to keep my head clear, be able to keep Cronus from taking over the world. She's better off this way too. It's all…for the best._

Jay sighed and forced a smile as Atlanta and Neil joined them loudly, completing their circle.

"Done for another year!" Atlanta sighed, laying her head down on the table. Neil made an indelicate sound.

"Done forever," he smirked at his partner, a little pink tongue suddenly stuck in his direction. Atlanta sat up and looked at her friends eagerly.

"So what are we gonna do now guys?! Grad is still two days away, and we've got the rest of the afternoon to kill. I say we go to the beach!"

"I'll second that!" Neil piped up immediately, Theresa nodding eagerly along with him.

"Do we have to?" Archie asked plaintively, turning to his, for now, ill-liked leader. Jay gave them a thoughtful look, trying not to laugh at all the pathetic pouts and puppy dog eyes directed his way. His breath caught though as he looked at Theresa, and he coughed slightly to cover it up. He smiled apologetically at Archie, not really feeling too sorry considering the boy currently had his arms wrapped around Theresa, and shrugged.

"Sounds good to me," he agreed, earning a chorus of cheers. Atlanta bounced up excitedly, grabbing Neil's hand and dragging him towards home.

"I can walk on my own ya know."

Archie snorted as they followed after the two, his arm brushing against Theresa's as they walked to the brownstone. He glanced down at her, not liking the mischievous smile on her face.

"I ain't going in the water," he told her bluntly, not fooled in the least by the innocent look she gave him as they entered the brownstone.

"What are you talking about?" she asked sweetly.

"Bullshit Terri. I saw that look on your face, you want me to go into the water. Well I don't think so," Archie crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly, leaning in his doorway. Theresa rolled her eyes and poked him in the chest.

"Look, if you're gonna be my partner, then you need to get used to water, and being in it. So get your swim trunks on and stop complaining. Honestly, I'm not gonna let you drown or anything. Trust, remember?" she gave him a look as she turned to go upstairs. He glared and turned into his bedroom.

"Yeah, yeah, alright. Women," he muttered under his breath. Now, where did he put those trunks? Theresa smiled triumphantly and ran upstairs to gather her things. Quickly throwing them into a bag, she slipped on her bathing suit, shorts and a tank going overtop. Running downstairs, she let out a yelp as Archie caught her about the waist with a grin.

"Wanna take my bike?" he asked, grin growing wider as Theresa's eyes lit up. She grabbed his bag from him.

"Sure! I'll go dump these in Herry's truck," she ran out the door excitedly. Herry grabbed the bags from her, throwing them in the back.

"Bout time, where's Archie?" he asked as everyone else piled into the truck. Theresa grinned up at him.

"We're gonna take his bike!" she exclaimed, bouncing back up the stairs. Herry smiled and shook his head at her childlike enthusiasm. He got into the truck and pulled away from the brownstone, carefully merging his baby into traffic. Atlanta paused in her excited rambling and glanced around.

"Hey, where's Arch and Terri?" she asked, alerting the others to their absence. Herry opened his mouth to answer when the two loudly pulled up beside the truck, Archie's bike rumbling steadily. Theresa had her arms and legs wrapped comfortably around Archie's waist, and she waved cheekily at them. Herry had a feeling Archie was smirking as he revved the bike before pulling it into a wheelie and speeding away. He skilfully weaved them in and out of traffic, quickly losing the truck. Herry glanced back at Atlanta.

"That answer your question?" he grinned. Atlanta scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Show off," she smiled and bounced impatiently in her seat. "Doesn't this thing go any faster?"

Theresa laughed wildly, breathlessly, as she hopped off the motorcycle, grinning happily at Archie. He grinned down at her as they waited for Herry to arrive.

"Fun?" he asked. Theresa nodded with a laugh and threw her arms about his waist impulsively.

"Yup! Can we do that again sometime?" she asked tentatively, cheeks pink. He shrugged.

"Sure, don't see why not. I can teach you how to drive it too if ya want," he offered, in a good mood despite the massive amount of water sparkling mockingly at him.

"Really?! I'd like that," Theresa's smile grew as she let go of him, clasping her hands behind her back. Archie smirked down at her.

"But only if you let me drive your car," he countered. She pouted at him.

"Ooh, tricky. I'll think about it," she sniffed as Herry finally pulled up beside them. Their friends spilled out, and they all made their way noisily down to the somewhat crowded beach. It seemed most teens had the same idea that day, and they hunted down the beach for a place to set up. They let Neil lead the way, following confidently after him. They walked a few minutes before he stopped, glanced around, and gave a satisfied nod.

"Herry," he said with a snap of his fingers. Herry gave a huff and, dropping Neil's fold out, reclining beach chair, set up their giant umbrella. Towels were eagerly thrown down and Archie sat with a huff, arms crossed over his chest, resolute not to move an inch closer to the water. He peeled off his shirt and whipped on his sunglasses, glancing up at Theresa. She smirked down at him, mischievous glint in her eyes. Archie suppressed a shudder. Theresa shook her head and stripped down to her bathing suit, oblivious to a series of blushes, chokes and admiring glances coming from the boys she sat with. She plopped down next to Archie and gave him a frown.

"Geez Arch, you better put some sunscreen on, you're starting to burn already," she remarked while slathering herself in it. Archie swallowed thickly and tore his eyes away from her.

"And maybe you should put some clothes on," he mumbled under his breath, grudgingly taking the bottle from her. She tapped him on the shoulder. "Hmm?"

"Do my back? Please?" he turned to see her back facing him, hair swung over her shoulder. He felt his cheeks flushing again, and nodded unsteadily. She beamed and turned completely around. Archie glanced at her back, then the sunscreen bottle, and sighed. Uncomfortable as he may feel about this slightly awkward situation, he was getting satisfaction out of watching Jay watching them. He smirked and rubbed his hands over her shoulders, mildly surprised at the softness of her skin. She made a small contented noise as his hands moved further down her back, and Archie couldn't help but smile gently, mentally filing away that little bit of info on 'what Theresa likes' for later.

"There. All done."

Theresa sighed as she felt his hands leave her body, instantly missing their feel. She pouted for a second before turning around with a smile.

"Thanks Arch. Now turn around and I'll do yours," she commanded. His slowly fading cheeks instantly burned once more, and he could only comply as she gently turned him around. He could hear her humming softly to herself, and twitched as the cold sunscreen came into contact with his heated skin. Archie sighed and relaxed though as her hands worked over his shoulders and down his back, holding back a smirk as Jay resolutely turned away from them and began talking to Odie. Theresa's hands left his body, and he glanced over his shoulder to carefully glance at her. She caught his look and gave him a cheeky smile before kneeling upright and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. His mouth went dry at the feel of her pressing against him.

"Isn't this nice Arch? A nice, hot sunny day at the beach, with all that cool, sparkling water just waiting to cool us off," she grinned as he immediately scowled.

"Tch. I could do without all the water thanks," he scoffed and turned his nose up. Theresa giggled and leaned closer, her breath tickling his ear.

"You'll be wanting it to cool you off by the end of the day. After all, I'm sure we can work up quite a sweat…" she murmured. Archie felt his eye twitch, and Theresa fell back as he started coughing violently. He glared down at her, only getting a confused, naïve blink in return. _What the-work up a sweat?! The hell is that supposed to mean?! Is she being…perverted?_

"Uh, Archie? Are you…okay?" she sat up, watching him carefully. Archie felt a drop of sweat roll down his neck. _Okaayy…so maybe she wasn't being dirty minded. Idiot._

"Ahem, ehehe…yeah, I'm fine," he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Theresa blinked again and smiled warily.

"Hey guys!!" they turned to Atlanta, energetic as ever. She gestured to Neil. "We're gonna go get some ice cream, anybody want some?"

"Hell yeah. See Theresa? You don't need water to cool you off," Archie smirked at his partner and stood as Atlanta bounded off, Neil following after her. Theresa stuck her tongue out at him and stood also.

"Fine, fine. We can have ice cream. For now. But you're going in that water mister," she smirked, poking him in the chest, and turned to her other friends. "What kind do you want Herry?"

Gaining Herry's order of a double strawberry fudge with banana slices, they ambled amiably off to the ice cream stand where Atlanta and Neil were receiving their orders. Theresa frowned slightly as she saw a familiar figure making his way towards the two.

"This could be trouble," she murmured. Archie raised an eyebrow and followed her line of sight, cursing under his breath.

Atlanta smiled up at Neil as he paid for their ice creams, claiming to be in a generous mood that she should take advantage of while it lasted. He gave her a small grin as she happily took her cone and they turned to go back to their group.

"So you're too busy for me, but you've got plenty of time to hang out with your friends, huh Atlanta?"

She glanced up to see Damien standing in front of them, glowering down at her. Neil raised a slightly uninterested eyebrow at him and licked his slowly melting low fat frozen yogurt. Atlanta frowned up at him.

"Excuse me?" she huffed and he took a step closer.

"You heard me. What, I wasn't good enough for you, is that it? I mean, that was pretty low, lying to me. You could have at least had the decency to tell me the truth," he spat. Atlanta's frown grew into a murderous glare, and Archie prayed Damien would have the sense to know when to stop so as not to die.

"You know what, Damien, I don't have to explain myself to you. Bottom line is, I broke up with you, which means we're over. Done. Finished. There's nothing more to talk about. Move on," she growled and turned to leave once more, Neil a step behind her.

"No, there is more to talk about, you little slut. What is it, you wanted Neil instead of me? _Neil_?"

By that time Theresa and Archie had reached them and all four froze for an instant before Atlanta whirled around, Archie glared fiercely and Theresa got ready to stomp her way over his face. They were all stopped by the tiniest of movements from Neil, who gently caught Atlanta by the waist and handed her his cone.

"Hold this a second will ya?" he smirked down a her. Atlanta blinked up at him in confusion but took it. A split second later Neil turned and threw a punch that Herry would have been proud of. Damien went down with a sickening crunch and a loud cry of pain, and Neil bent down to grab him by the shirt, hauling him up. The other three gaped in disbelief as blood poured from his broken nose. Neil gave him an icy glare.

"Don't ever talk to Atlanta like that again. You got me? In fact, maybe it's best if you never talk to her again, period. Because scum like you don't deserve that privilege. Now. I think you owe the lady an apology. Then you can scamper away, back to the hole you crawled out from. Got it?"

It was all Damien could do to whimper out what must have passed as an apology in Neil's opinion before the blond released him and he ran like his life depended on it. Neil calmly turned and took his cone back from Atlanta. He gave it a lick and raised an eyebrow at her.

"What?" he asked. Theresa shook her head as Archie sputtered and Atlanta remained gaping at her partner. Neil shrugged and slipped an arm about her waist, turning and guiding her back to their spot on the beach. Theresa and Archie looked at each other, shook their heads, and went to order their ice cream.

"Soooo…..that was the weirdest thing in the world. I seriously think my brain just imploded," Archie said conversationally. Theresa could only nod in agreement as she grabbed her cone and took an absentminded lick. Ever so slowly they walked back to their friends, minds trying desperately to process what they just witnessed. Handing Herry his ice cream, they plopped down next to a still catatonic Atlanta, Neil absorbed with finishing off his cone. Taking one last bite, he sighed with pleasure and then frowned, looking down at his hand. He turned to Atlanta.

"Laaaniiieee…" he whined. "I think I bruised my hand."

Atlanta finally seemed to snap out of it at that comment, not even noticing that her ice cream had melted all over the sand.

"Wha- you think- and you…..what the hell was that Neil?" she spluttered. Jay raised a curious eyebrow at them.

"What was what? How'd you hurt your hand Neil?" he asked, seriously hoping they could have at least one day without trouble. Archie pointed at Neil incredulously.

"Damien insulted Lanta, and Neil broke his nose," he blurted out. Jaws fell as everyone gaped at an oblivious Neil. He raised an eyebrow at them and Atlanta.

"Whaaaat? Is it really that surprising?" Neil huffed and cradled his hand to his chest, checking for damage. Atlanta shook her head and grabbed his hand, ignoring his complaints and 'owies'.

"Yes, actually, it is. How can you not think that? And you did bruise your hand," Atlanta asked in bewilderment. Neil pouted.

"Oh come on! I may be narcissistic and egotistical and self-absorbed, and sure I may make snide, sarcastic, teasing comments to you girls, but I would never be so vulgar as to call you a slut! That guy needs to know how to respect women. He deserved it," Neil sniffed as he rooted around their cooler for some ice to press against his hand. Atlanta and Theresa exchanged surprised, somewhat ashamed and mollified, glances before smiling at the blond.

"Aww. That's so sweet Neil. It's good to know that you would fight to uphold our honour, isn't it Lan?" Theresa said sweetly, elbowing said friend in the ribs. Atlanta stuck her tongue out at the older girl, but gave Neil a rueful smile.

"That was pretty cool Neil, though I could have done it myself. But, thanks, anyways," she smiled and gave him a small, awkwardly friendly punch on the arm. Neil just shrugged modestly before opening his mouth.

"Well, you're welcome. Just remember how awesome I am from now on, hmm? So that next time it looks like I'm about to get maimed in battle, you can come and save my beautiful face." So much for modesty and upholding honour. A collective groan arose from the six friends and Atlanta pushed Neil over into the sand. Theresa laughed as Neil spat out sand and sputtered with indignation, Atlanta pretending to ignore him. She turned to Archie with an innocent smile. He smiled back a moment before frowning suspiciously.

"What? What's that look for?" he scowled. Theresa pouted at him.

"Can't I even smile at my friends any more?" she sighed dramatically. Archie snorted.

"Not when your friends know you as well as we do. You're never that innocent Theresa. I'm not going in the water," he said with a tone of finality and slumped down on his towel, intent on trying to get a tan. Such wishful thinking. Theresa leaned over him, blocking the sunlight, and began poking him. Archie lay there, ignoring her as best he could. A slight twitch beneath one eye was the only thing that gave him away. Theresa grinned widely as she moved her fingers from his arm down to his chest. The twitching increase. Theresa's grin looked slightly manic. She moved to his waist and…..POKE.

"AAHHIIIEEE!!!" Archie yelped and scrambled away from his partner as she let out a malicious laugh. She loomed large above him, flames shooting up behind her. Archie shuddered. _So….EVIL…._

"Soooo…..ticklish, Archie? Ooohhohohohoho!!" Theresa cackled and dove at him. He yelled and tried to dart away, tripping over his other friends, who in turn began to yell and scramble away.

"Hey! Watch the hair!"

"Ah! My computer! Be careful!"

"Why do you have that thing here anyways?!"

"MWUAHAHAHAH!!!!"

Mass chaos ensued, and pitiful howls of defeat echoed down the beach. Other beach goers would remember, with a shudder, for years the evil laughter that rang across the ocean that day. A pair of surfers walked down the beach.

"Dude, would so NOT want to be her boyfriend right now," one said. His friend nodded in agreement.

Theresa sat triumphantly atop Archie, arms crossed as she laughed victoriously. Archie lay on the sand, groaning pitifully as he shook his head in disbelief. Her laughter soon wound down and she smiled gently down at him, leaning forward. Archie blinked as she rested her arms on his chest, already straddling his waist. He blushed furiously.

"Hey, Archie. Won't you at least come for a walk with me?" she asked quietly, still smiling. Archie gazed up at her, pondering the consequences of saying no….or, for that matter, saying yes. He sighed and pushed her up.

"Yeah alright, I guess a walk won't hurt. But no funny business!" he scowled and stood, brushing sand off his body. Theresa nodded enthusiastically and grabbed his hand, pulling him away down the beach. Archie grumbled and blushed as Theresa led the way, idly swinging their still entwined hands with a beaming smile. He glanced down at her.

"Geez, couldn't you have at least put on a shirt or something?" he muttered. Theresa tilted her head up at him with a tiny smirk.

"Why Arch, enjoying the view a little too much?" she winked. He scowled and refused to look at her.

"Pfft. No, but everyone else on this damn beach is," he growled and glared at a few boys who let their gaze linger just a little too long on Theresa for his liking. She blinked at him and slid her arm through his, smiling softly as she rested her head against his arm.

"Aww, you're so sweet Archie. My, my, you boys are just full of surprises today aren't you?" she giggled as they kept walking, the crowds thinning out the farther they went. Archie flushed and kept quiet, choosing instead to simply squeeze her hand with a noncommittal grunt. They walked on quietly down the beach as they enjoyed the cool breeze and each others company.

_It's nice being out here like this…..just the two of us. __**Heh, yup. You, her and a little tiny scrap of fabric keeping her covered. **_Archie resisted the urge to smack himself. _That's…not what I meant. Forget about the two of us, I can't even get away from myself out here. I'm just trying to enjoy the day and think of ways to stay out of the water. Is that so much to ask? __**Of course it is. Life should never be that easy. Especially for you.**_

Archie sighed. He could just imagine his inner voice sticking a tongue out in mockery. Theresa sighed next to him, startling him out of his thoughts. She pouted and stopped.

"Eh? What's wrong?" he asked, confused. She gestured in front of them, and Archie turned to see a huge cliff face. "Ahh…end of the road I guess."

"Hmm," Theresa nodded and moved closer to them, staring up at the heights. Archie smiled and followed after her.

"You're gonna get vertigo doing that," he grinned as Theresa stuck her tongue out, not looking down. He shook his head and moved away from the water a bit, running a hand along the rock face, until he hit an open space and fell over. "Oomph!"

"Archie? What are you doing?" Theresa stifled a laugh and went to investigate.

"I…I think I found a cave or something," Archie called as he stood and looked around. Indeed, he had fallen into a tunnel, or passageway of sorts. "Hmm….c'mon Theresa, lets see where it goes."

They quickly made their way through the rocks, their path a continuation of the beach. Light streamed through from both ends and they could clearly hear the waves of the ocean crashing onto the beach. Reaching the other end, they shielded their eyes a moment as the sun hit them full force. Opening her eyes, Theresa gasped and ran forward.

"Oh! Oh, Archie!" she gazed about in wonder at the secret cove they had stumbled into. Part of the cliff face had been weathered away and sand filled a small beach, calm waves lapping at it lovingly. She walked slowly across the hot sand, turning this way and that to take everything in.

"Huh. Cool," Archie had to admit, he was mildly impressed at their discovery. "Wonder why there's nobody else here."

"Mmm. Well, it was kinda tricky to see where the entrance was. If you hadn't fallen, I don't think we would have seen it," Theresa admitted. She grinned suddenly and turned to Archie. "Oooh, Aaarrchiiiieeeee!"

"I'm not going," he responded automatically, and crouched down to peek into a small tidal pool near the cliff base. Theresa crossed her arms and pouted, moving to stand in the water.

"Aww, c'mon Archie, not even one foot? You won't even just step in it?" she sighed. Archie turned and looked up at the wistful tone in her voice, watching as she sat in the shallows and closed her eyes, resting her chin on her knees. He shrugged and scratched the back of his head, then scowled and rolled his eyes, standing with a sigh. Stomping over to her as petulantly as he could, he planted both feet in the water next to her.

"There. Happy?" he scowled. She blinked up at him, surprised that he had actually done it. She nodded.

"Sit with me. Please?" she asked gently, raising a hand to him. He glared down at her for a few moments, panic threatening to well up inside of him. With a snort and shake of the head, he landed with a splash beside her. Theresa smiled happily and slipped her arm back through his, squeezing gently as she noticed how he twitched.

"There. That's not so bad is it?" she chided him.

"Easy for you to say," he grumbled shakily. The smile slipped from her lips as she regarded him seriously.

"What happened Archie? To make you so afraid of the water?" she murmured. His eyes snapped over to her, jumping in surprise as he found her chin perched on his shoulder. Archie's breath caught at the closeness of her. _She has….such deep eyes…_ He swallowed unsteadily and turned his gaze back out to his nemesis. Letting out a humourless laugh, he tapped on his ankle brace.

"You know, I didn't always have this thing. For the first few years of my life I didn't need it. Was a regular kid, who could do regular things. Then the older I got, the worse the ankle got. My mom, when she could afford it, took me to see specialists and they all told her the same thing. 'Even with a brace, he'll be using crutches or in a wheelchair by the time he's twenty.' But she didn't care, didn't believe them. So, finally, it got to be so bad I needed the brace by the time I was twelve. And that was for basically everything. I'd had others before, just for running and playing sports, but by then I needed it just for walking more than a few feet," Archie paused and took a deep breath, smiling inwardly as he felt Theresa squeeze against him.

"And well, me being me, of course I acted like a normal kid. Didn't see why I shouldn't, and I still don't for the most part. I played sports and games with my friends, went camping. But then, the summer after I got the brace, I was out at a friends camp. We were sitting in the boat, fishing and fooling around. But then one thing led to another, and before we knew it the boat had tipped over and into the water we went. The other guys, I'm sure, thought it was pretty funny, because we could all swim. But I'd forgotten about the extra weight of my brace. It dragged me down, and I couldn't swim. Not with it on, not with it off. Not that I'd have been able to get it off fast enough. I remember there was muffled voices yelling and my friends were splashing at the surface. Then everything went black and I woke up on the dock. I was lucky my friend's dad was there. So."

Archie sighed as he finished swallowing his pride and sharing part of his life with her. He glanced over at Theresa and was shocked to find her glaring ferociously at his leg. She blinked and hot tears rolled down her cheeks. A different kind of panic seized him.

"Ah-Hey! Don't cry Theresa! It's...I just…look that was a long time ago okay? I just don't like swimming anymore. Not that I really can," he mumbled and reached up to wipe away her tears. She sniffed loudly and sat up, swiping at her cheeks that were taking on a rosy tone.

"I'm sorry. I didn't…didn't realize. I shouldn't have pushed you so much about coming in. And we shouldn't tease you so much about being afraid of the water," Theresa bit her lip and wrapped her arms around her body miserably.

_You're horrible Theresa! Here we are teasing him like it's something trivial, and he almost __**died. **__He must have been so scared…and probably still is. If it wasn't for that stupid brace. Who makes a brace out of gold anyways?! He needs something lighter, something that won't rust if it does get wet…_

Theresa jumped slightly as Archie threw an arm over her shoulders and pulled her against his side, squeezing her tight. She smiled shakily and leaned into him, wrapping her arms about his waist for a hug. Archie sighed and smiled as he looked up at the sky.

"We should prolly get back soon. It's getting late, and Zeus knows we live with a bunch of nosy people," he smirked down at her, earning a laugh from the redhead in his arms. He stood and pulled her with him, making their way back to their friends. Theresa took one more glance behind them.

_One day…we'll come back here. Someday soon, with a brace Archie can swim in._

Archie smiled lightly as Theresa beamed up at him, tugging at his hand to run down the beach with her. Her crystal laughter echoed behind them as they flew over the sand and water, dodging children and castles.

_I feel…better now….Strange, the affect she has on me. Maybe….maybe, one day, I'll tell her more….One day…._

They fell in a laughing heap amongst their friends, earning amused, confused and jealous glances. Theresa moved over to Atlanta, who was intently building a castle and ignoring the boys, except to throw in her opinion. She smiled as Theresa picked up a bucket and filled it with sand. Archie lay panting on his towel, an arm slung over his eyes as he smiled with wild abandon. He was slowly discovering that his partner was something else entirely.

"Archie. Please, would you help me out here and tell Odie that it is not that hard to get a date for grad?" Neil's voice broke into his peace and with a groan he rolled over to face them. He raised an eyebrow at Neil.

"Well if it's so easy, why don't you have one yet?" he pointed pout dryly.

"HA! Yeah Neil, what's the matter? Too scared?" Odie smirked at the blond. Neil just gave him a look.

"Please. Only the best get to be asked out by me. I simply haven't found her yet," he sniffed and tossed his nose in the air.

"Yeah. That's code for: I waited too long and now all the good looking ones are taken," Archie smirked as Neil turned to glare at him. "Though, and I really hate to admit this, Neil's right. It's not that hard man. Just find a girl you can at least talk to and ask her."

"Arch, please. There's no way it's that simple," Odie crossed his arms, looking unsure and uncomfortable. Archie shook his head and grabbed the chip bag from Herry, nimbly rolling away from his manically hungry friend.

"Of course it. It's not like it's any harder than, oh I don't know, saving the world," he snorted and shook the empty bag with a pout. Odie grinned weakly at him.

"Fine you do it then. You don't have a date yet either right?" he challenged him. Archie paused and crumpled up the bag, tossing it in the garbage. Now that Odie mentioned it he didn't have one yet….And Jay _was _sitting right there….He turned with a smirk.

"Hey Theresa. Whaddya say?" he raised an eyebrow at her. She blinked and paused in her castle making, head tilted to the side. She shrugged and packed more sand into her bucket.

"Okay," she agreed. Archie turned back to a stunned Odie with a superior smirk as he tried not to look at Jay.

"See? Easy as pie," he shrugged and flopped back down onto his towel, afraid he would burst out laughing if he looked at Jay. Neil snapped his fingers.

"Archie, you're a genius!" he exclaimed and flopped himself down at Atlanta's side. "Atlanta. You're a girl. And you're not ugly. Go with me? Pleeeeeasssee?"

Theresa snorted back a laugh as Atlanta glared down at her partner, sand bucket twitching violently in her hand.

"You expect me to say yes to that?!" she growled and raised the bucket. Neil cringed and spoke quickly.

"Oh come on, I bruised my hand for you. And you are actually pretty, and we get along most of the time! Please, Atlanta? Just this once?" he begged. She lowered the bucket slightly and blushed. Neil, sensing impending defeat, went in for the kill. "If you say yes I'll actually put some effort into our training and try my hardest not to annoy you while we're together."

And down went the bucket. Atlanta eyed him suspiciously for a minute before sighing grudgingly.

"Well….when you ask that way….Alright fine, I'll be your damn date. BUT. You give me a foot rub after it's over, because I've seen the heels you and Theresa picked out for me," she smirked at him, superiority oozing from her. Neil shrugged and sat up again.

"Deal. Just as long as you don't have nasty, scummy wart covered feet," he agreed.

BANG went the bucket.

All in all, another relaxing day at the beach.


	10. Chapter the Tenth

**A/N:** holy crap it's an update. I cannot believe just how long it's been since I have done any work on this story, and I apologize for the excruciatingly looooooong wait. I honestly can't believe that there are still people who even read this. Does anybody remember who I am? Lol. Yaaaa……apparently 'one week' for an update means one year in my mind. I completely blame my new boyfriend for distracting me. Then again he does provide me with good inspiration XD. So I hope this chapter does not disappoint all my faithful readers. It is the longest chapter I've written for ANT to date, and I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. But as always, I looked forward to some good constructive criticism. So, happy reading everyone!!

**Chapter the Tenth**

Jay awoke with a start and sighed. Sounded like Neil and Theresa were fighting over the bathroom. He glanced at his clock. Eight o'clock. Jay groaned and threw off his blankets, stomping down the stairs to confront (see: yell) at them. He growled in annoyance as he entered the bathroom, finding it half destroyed. Makeup and hair products, clothing and towels all littered the room, covering nearly every surface. Theresa and Neil stood facing each other, hands on their hips and glaring.

"What is going on?" Jay demanded. They turned to look at him, pointing to each other.

"I need the bathroom! I have to get ready!" they both shouted. Jay sighed and scratched his head sleepily.

"All right, now, one at a time. Why do you need to get ready so early? The dance doesn't start until six," he stifled a yawn. Theresa huffed.

"I need the bathroom so I can get cleaned up, go wake Atlanta and get **her** ready in time to go to our hair appointment at ten," she explained haughtily, tapping her foot impatiently. Jay nodded and yawned.

"Neil, let her and Atlanta have the bathroom. You can have it all to yourself while they're gone," he grumbled and turned to go back to bed. Neil whined as Theresa smirked smugly and pushed him out, locking the door behind him. Jay shook his head. _Too damn early to be seeing Theresa in that nightgown. Though…Archie's going to be seeing her in it every morning……Bastard._

Theresa hummed happily as she took a quick shower, excitement bubbling in her stomach. She giggled as she remembered the look on Jay's face when Archie asked her to the dance. _Serves him right. Really, if he was interested, he should have asked. But now it's too late, and I can't be bothered with him anymore. I wonder how Archie will look tonight._

She giggled again as she barged into Atlanta's room and flopped down on the bed, earning a groan from the jumble of blankets huddled at the end of the bed. Theresa rolled her eyes and grabbed the pillow from the ground, smacking her friend soundly over the head.

"Time to get up Lanta. Go get cleaned up and I'll make us a quick breakfast before we go get our hair done," Theresa smiled as Atlanta sat up, hair ruffled and eyes half closed. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, stumbling out of bed. Theresa shook her head and went to get dressed before heading down to the kitchen to make breakfast. She smiled as she noticed Archie shuffling from the fridge to the table, yawning loudly. He glared at her groggily as she bounced into the room and ruffled his hair.

"Good morning Archie! How come you're up so early?" she chirped happily as she got out the egg carton. Archie sulked into his glass of milk as he sat watching her from the table.

"Neil whines too loudly. No thanks to you," he huffed. Theresa pouted at him and held up a pan.

"Aww, I'm sorry I woke you, but you know how Neil can be. I'll make you breakfast?" she offered. He raised a suspicious eyebrow at her.

"You know how to cook?" he asked dubiously. She pouted at him crossly.

"Yes. Do you want some or not? I'm making scrambled," she turned back to the stove. Archie gazed at her for a minute as she cracked eggs, hearing them sizzling in the pan. He stood and shuffled over to her.

"Yeah, please. I'll make some toast," he offered, grabbing the bread. Theresa flashed him a smile and they stood together quietly making breakfast. This was the scene Atlanta entered into and she paused, wrinkling her nose in confusion as she watched them silently passing plates back and forth, getting the meal together. She slowly sat at the table, a small smile on her face.

"Well aren't you two just oh so domesticate," she smirked as Theresa placed a plate in front of her, sitting with a smile. She stuck her tongue out at Atlanta as Archie simply shovelled food into his mouth.

"Yes, we're the picture of domesticity. Smart ass. Hurry up and eat so we can go to our 'torture session' as you so eloquently put it," Theresa grinned. Atlanta scowled and ate quickly. _Damn. Can't I do my own hair? It's not like I have a whole lot of it like Theresa does. What does she think they'll be able to do?_

And so they soon left for the hair salon, Atlanta grumbling all the way, just as the other boys began filing into the kitchen. Herry gave Archie a forlorn look as he began cleaning up.

"You guys ate breakfast without me?" he asked. Archie snorted derisively.

"Like I'm gonna cook for you. I'd be here for hours. Don't worry, there's still food in the house. I'm going for a run," he announced abruptly and left to get changed. Neil grabbed a small cup of yogurt and also turned to leave the kitchen.

"And I'll be in the bathroom getting ready," he announced with a sniff towards Jay, and haughtily made his way upstairs. The rest of them groaned as Archie sped past them, the front door slamming behind him.

"Great. So as soon as he's done, the girls will be back to take over," Odie grumbled. "If that's the case, I think I might hole up in my room till we leave, just to avoid the storm."

"Good thinking," Jay agreed with a sigh. He could only hope they would survive the night. _And that Cronus won't decide to wreak havoc on us. The girls just have to be wearing dresses don't they…Well duh, what the hell else would they wear?!…Still…it's a liability. We'll have to keep an eye out for them, if something does happen. _He shook his head and went into the living room to watch television with Herry, determined to try and relax in the calm before the storm.

Archie sighed as he ran through the park, the wind feeling good on his face. He smiled, glad he'd gotten out of the house when he did. Now if only he could time it right and stay out long enough to avoid the chaos that is two and a half girls getting ready for grad. Archie grinned as he reached the beach, running swiftly down the boardwalk. He was excited to see what Theresa would look like, he admitted to himself. And what her reaction to him would be like. _Heh. I hope she likes it. I won't look like a pansy-ass, fancy and refined 'gentleman', like I'm sure Jay will, but I think I'll still look damn good. Hell, I'll look even better! __**Damn right. Jay's gonna be jealous once he sees her. 'Cuz you know she's gonna look so friggin hot. **__Damn right!_

If people looked startled when Archie ran by, cackling madly, he didn't notice it, too caught up in his own delusional mind. He envisioned himself and Theresa looking like movie stars, cameras flashing wildly, while Jay wept on the sidelines, cursing himself for letting her go. _Too bad Jay. You let her go. And I ain't giving her back._

Two hours later, completely sweat soaked and exhausted, Archie returned to the brownstone and was greeted with somewhat controlled chaos. He could hear stomping from the second floor as the girls and Neil ran between bathroom and bedrooms. Theresa and Neil were talking loudly, though he didn't think they were arguing, while Atlanta was definitely cross with the both of them. Jay and Herry were calmly watching a movie and Odie was nowhere to be found. Archie shrugged and took off his shirts, tossing them into his room before returning to the living room and flopping down on the couch. There was no way he was getting a shower just yet, so he may as well watch the movie while he waited.

An hour passed with no end to the noise above them. The credits were rolling when footsteps sounded on the stairs and Theresa peeked into the room, rolling her eyes at the three boys. She smiled and stepped shyly into the room, hands behind her back. They all glanced up, greeting her indifferently. She bit her lip nervously and stood in front of Archie. He looked up at her, eyebrow raised. She shifted from foot to foot and abruptly thrust a box toward him. He gave her a surprised look and slowly accepted the box.

"What's this?" he asked. Theresa simply smiled and gestured at it.

"Open it and find out," she said impishly. Her heart hammered nervously in her chest as he opened it. Archie blinked down at the object in his hands.

"Theresa, how…what…?" he asked in disbelief as he removed a brace from the box, this one a steely gray. Theresa shifted again.

"Remember, we were talking on the beach? I thought, you might like this. I had Hephaestus make it. It's super light, but extra strong and it won't rust," she explained, twining her fingers together, face flushed red as she felt Herry and Jay watching them. Archie looked up at her incredulously, amazed and touched that she had done this for him. He grinned weakly up at her. _Oh hell yeah, I'm never letting her go._

"Thanks Theresa. That…that really means a lot," he smiled, trailing his hands over the thin plating. He set it down carefully and hurriedly took off his old one as Theresa perched on the couch arm. Carefully, his foot slid into the new brace, surprised at how smooth and comfortable it felt. It encased his heel and half his foot, going part way up his shin. Tightening it till it was snug, he flexed his ankle and stood, placing all of his weight onto it.

"Well? How does it feel?" Theresa asked anxiously.

"Feels great!" Archie cried and moved to walk across the room. He stumbled though as his foot went swinging out, and fell against his partner. "Whoa! Ooops, sorry!"

"It's alright. Like I said, it's really light," Theresa giggled and helped him stand. "Might take a bit to adjust your gait to it."

"Yeah, yeah, of course. But oh man. This is awesome! Thank you Terri," Archie grinned and pulled her against him in a crushing hug. She blushed at the feel of his bare skin against her, the light musky scent of him, and quickly gave him a friendly pat on the back.

"You're welcome. I'm just glad you like it. But I've gotta finish getting ready, so I'll see you boys in a little while," she smiled and left to return upstairs. Archie continued walking across the room, slower this time, trying to get used to the new sensation. Herry grinned at him and even Jay seemed happy for him.

"Hey man, love the new gear, but you're making it hard to watch TV. Sit your ass back down, you can flaunt that later," Herry grinned good-naturedly and threw a cushion at him. Archie threw it back, but sat with a smug grin and propped his foot on the table so he could admire Theresa's gift. A heavier set of footsteps came down the stairs minutes later and Neil entered, observing them.

"Why aren't you guys getting ready? Archie, have you even **showered **yet?!" he cried, exasperated. They looked at each other, and him, and shrugged. Neil huffed and dragged Archie out of the room as forcefully as he could without really touching him. "Honestly Archie, we need to get you ready. Get showered and then bring your clothes to my room to get ready."

"Huh? Why? I think I know how to dress myself," Archie gave Neil a wry look as he was shoved into the bathroom. Neil 'tsked' at him and shook his head, hands on hips.

"Because. I have to make sure that you look presentable at least. We're the only ones with dates, and I refuse to have my picture taken with somebody who looks like a hobo," Neil sniffed and left, Archie glaring after him. But, he decided, it would be easier to just give in to Neil's demands, at least for today. Besides, he didn't want to disappoint Theresa because he messed up, especially after her super thoughtful gift. He quickly showered and grabbed his belongings, presenting them to Neil, who laid them out on the bed in mild surprise.

"Wow Archie. I'm…impressed. I think we can actually make you look pretty good," he hummed in approval. Archie snorted and shook his head.

"Thanks Neil. Can I get dressed now?" he asked plaintively. Neil shook his head and pushed him towards the vanity.

"Nope. Hair first. Now, how should we do it…"

And so, the torture of Archie began. The other men in the house shuddered as they heard him yelling obscenities while the girls shared an evil look. Another hour later and the boys were all gathered in the living room, waiting for the girls while Athena insisted on taking an infinite number of pictures. Much grumbling filled the room, broken by a sudden clomping on the stairs.

"Hey, you guys ready?!" Atlanta shouted down the stairs. A chorus of "YES!" hit her as she stepped into the room and she stepped back, scowling at them. "Well you don't have to yell!!"

They all mumbled their apologies as they stared at her, barely recognizing the girl before them. She scowled again and crossed her arms protectively across her chest.

"What are you guys staring at? I don't look that bad do I?" she huffed nervously, tentatively running a hand over her dress and hair. She wore a strapless black dress with white polka dots. A teal band of fabric wrapped around beneath her bust, tied up in a large bow on her back. The bottom of the dress fluffed out at the knees with matching teal lace underneath it, and a pair of small black kitten heels adorned her feet. Her hair lay against her shoulders in large, loose curls, bangs held back by a black headband. Theresa hadn't overdone her makeup, for which Atlanta was thoroughly grateful, but she was still stunning with the faint, iridescent powder shimmering on her cheeks. She flushed and shifted uncomfortably.

"You look absolutely beautiful Atlanta," Neil reassured her, flashing her a wink. "Trust me, I should know. Is Theresa ready yet?"

Atlanta seemed to relax instantly and rolled her eyes at him with a smile. Light clipping came down the stairwell.

"Yeah she's ready. But if you think **I **look good, you might wanna sit down," she smirked, seemingly directly at Archie, and moved to stand next to Neil, watching as Theresa entered distractedly, putting one last earring in.

"I'm sorry I took so long you guys," she looked up to be greeted with stunned gazes. If Archie's breath had hitched at the sight of Atlanta, it was completely lost once he glimpsed Theresa. He stared, pole axed for a moment before regaining his senses, and snatched off his top hat in a rare show of respect. Theresa smiled as she ran her gaze over her date. He wore a tuxedo, as did all the boys, but his was…unique. A top hat was complemented by tails, gloves and a silver tipped cane. Neil had flattened his hair down and part of it flopped in front of his face, while the rest was slicked back, as Neil had done completely to his own hair. Archie gulped and twisted his hat as Theresa flushed under his open gaze.

She wore a long, floor length gown in the most perfect shade of gold. A slit on one side revealed smooth skin up to mid thigh. Much like the dress Persephone had given her, the gathering of the material cupped her breasts, modestly accentuating her curves. A train flowed slightly behind her. But it was her hair that was perhaps the most striking. It was done up in a braided twist, small curls escaping at her nape, while atop her head sat a small headpiece made of gold filigree. A single pearl lay against her forehead as the strands wound back into her hair.

"Well? How do I look?" her voice interrupted Archie's reverie and he had to clear his throat to speak.

"Beautiful," he murmured, earning another pretty flush from the redhead. He suddenly remembered something. "Oh! We almost forgot, Neil and I got something for you girls."

The girls gave each other curious glances as Archie went to retrieve something from the fridge. He came back to reveal a pair of corsages for them: a white camellia for Atlanta and a tiger lily for Theresa. Theresa giggled as Atlanta turned bight red while Neil slipped the flower onto her wrist, Archie doing the same for her.

"Aren't you kids sweet? Come on, let me take some pictures of the couples first and then the whole group," Athena held up her camera with a grin. Archie slipped his hat back on and held his cane in his left hand while slipping his right around Theresa's back. He pulled back slightly, startled as he felt bare skin. Peeking behind her, Theresa grinned as his jaw dropped. The dress dipped extremely low, leaving her back completely bare all the way down. He swallowed thickly and gently placed his hand on the small of her back, firmly setting his jaw back in place as she laid a hand on his chest, her body moving into his. _Holy goddamn! Is she __**trying **__to kill me? Damn it Theresa. So…damn…gorgeous. _

Archie could feel his body instantly reacting, and a bead of sweat rolled down his neck as Athena finished taking her pictures. He fervently hoped nobody, especially Theresa, would notice. She tilted her head up to look at him, chin resting on his chest as she smiled softly, eyes glittering mysteriously. He held her gaze for a scant moment before it overwhelmed him and he broke away, clearing his throat awkwardly. _She needs to stop being so…psychic-y and all-knowing._

Theresa giggled at his obvious discomfort with her dress and looped her am though his, tugging him out the door. Archie sighed as they led the way out, hearing exclamations from the other boys over the nonexistent back of his date's dress. He swore he could feel Jay's eyes burning into the back of his head, and sighed. It was going to be a long night.

He and Neil helped the girls into Herry's truck and they were soon on their way to the downtown hotel their dance was being hosted at. Apparently since money wasn't an issue, the gods had spared no expense. Archie felt his jaw drop again as they pulled up to the hotel. _It's like the red carpet, or the Russian ballet… _Theresa giggled beside him.

"Stunned are we?" she teased as he flushed, jaw snapping shut. He glanced at her with a smirk.

"Yeah, well, I guess you're kinda used to this kind of thing, huh? A little mundane for you, even?" he teased back. Her eyes softened and she gave a small, somewhat bitter smile, turning her head to glance out the window.

"I suppose you're right," she agreed with a sigh as Herry pulled up to the curb. Archie frowned as he got out, going around to the other side to help Theresa down onto the sidewalk. _I didn't mean to upset her…Geez…__**Way to go genius. **__Shut the hell up. _He sighed and jumped as he heard squealing behind him. Two of Atlanta and Theresa's team-mates from field hockey rushed up to them as Neil, Odie and Jay got out of the truck.

"Wow look at you guys! You clean up nice. Rowr," Midge laughed as Neil preened for a moment. "But enough about you, we wanna see the girls. Nice cane Archie."

Atlanta snorted as she put her feet down on the runners and stood, wobbly, to get out of the truck. She opened her mouth to comment when her foot twisted out from beneath her and she pitched forward. She shut her eyes tightly, bracing for a harsh impact with the ground when suddenly a strong pair of arms grabbed her, one arm sliding beneath her knees and she was quickly spun around. She opened her eyes tentatively, one at a time and looked up at Neil. He huffed down at her.

"Geez Atlanta. Be careful, you could have broken your leg! And I'd like to have a date to dance with, thank you very much," he informed her haughtily. Midge and Stacy glanced at each other and tried to hold back their laughter as he gently set Atlanta down, holding her while she got steadied. Her face matched her hair by that point.

"Aww, Lanta, you look so good! I can't believe Theresa got you into a dress," Stacy exclaimed as Atlanta nervously fidgeted with said dress. Archie smiled and handed Neil his cane, shoving him out of the way so he could help Theresa down. She smiled at him as she stood, his hands automatically going to her waist, her small hands gripping his shoulders as he lifted her down, spinning to place her securely on the walk. Theresa blushed as she brushed against him, Midge and Stacy oohing in the background. She gracefully arranged her dress as Archie took back his cane, Herry pulling away to park the truck.

"Whoa Theresa. I'm sorry girl, but you look far too good to be here. Hello Hollywood!" Midge teased. Stacy shook her head.

"Forget Hollywood, hello Paris!!" she grinned and nudged Archie in the ribs. "And just how did you ever manage to score such a fine looking date?"

Archie smirked as her gaze flickered to Jay for a moment, then to Atlanta and Neil before settling back on him. He shrugged and slipped his arm about Theresa's waist, hand resting on her hip. He gave her a squeeze and grinned as she flushed.

"Guess I'm just lucky is all," he said self-deprecatingly. Theresa grinned and looked at her friends with mock shock.

"Well now really girls, look at how handsome he is. Who wouldn't want to be his date?" she giggled, running a hand down his chest. She could see his cheeks turning the faintest pink. _Two can play that game._

Archie sighed in relief as Herry returned and they moved into the hotel. Stacy and Midge elected to escort Odie into the ballroom, one on each arm fawning over him, much to his embarrassed pleasure. Atlanta held onto Neil for dear life, being rather suspicious of the shoes that just tried to kill her. Archie gave Theresa an over exaggerated bow and held out his arm. She smiled and calmly placed her arm atop of his, posture perfect and head held high as they entered the ballroom. Archie felt a wave of pride surge through him as envious glances and excited whispers were sent their way. _That's right, she's here with __**me. And going home with us. **__That too! Hey, wait-not like that! __**No? **__No! __**Damn.**_

Theresa flushed and giggled again as Archie pulled her chair out for her. She sat and looked over her shoulder at him, a twinkle in her eyes. He gave her a cocky grin and sat next to her, leaning his cane against the table and whipping his hat off. Theresa leaned toward him, pressing into his side. Her breath was hot against his neck and he shivered as her lips brushed his ear.

"You look very handsome tonight Archie. And thank you for the corsage," she whispered to him. He flushed and fidgeted in his seat.

"No problem," he muttered, scowling as she pulled away with another giggle and Atlanta flashed him a wink. _Goddamn, can she possibly giggle anymore tonight? Girls…and what's with Lanta? Winking at me…Subtlety thy name is __**not **__Atlanta. __**Maybe we shouldn't be subtle tonight then. Let's make Jay see red. **__Heh, excellent idea. Let's do it._

Archie blinked as the lights dimmed and Theresa slipped her hand into his, settling back in her chair as the principal made his speech. Archie, naturally, ignored the speech in favour of focussing on his date. And how small her hand really was, and soft too, despite the calluses he could feel. She even smelled soft. He wasn't sure what the scent was, not being her usual lavender, but it suited her still. Soft, but a little spicy….or maybe musky?

He leaned towards her more, gently moving her hand into his other one as he laid his right arm over the back of her chair. Theresa smiled gently at him, moving into his embrace. She was glad he had liked her gift, and that Jay had looked extremely jealous when she took Archie's arm. _Tonight, I'm not even going to think about Jay. Tonight is just about having fun with Archie._

The speech ended finally and dinner was brought out. It passed by quickly and loudly as they all cheerfully celebrated, laughing and talking about nothing for once. They teased Herry for the monumental stack of plates in front of him; Neil for checking his teeth in the mirror every five minutes; Jay who had his PMR in his pocket. IT was a good night.

Archie stretched and groaned as the DJ took the stage, starting up the music as multicoloured lights flashed over the dance floor. He gave Theresa a pleading look.

"Do we really have to dance?" he whined. She pouted at him.

"Of course we do. That's the whole point of going to a grad **dance**," she rolled her eyes with a smile. Archie grinned and shrugged as she stood and tugged on his hand.

"It was worth a try," he sighed dramatically, sharing a long-suffering look with Atlanta as their dates dragged them onto the dance floor. Theresa laughed as Cascada began playing, and grabbed Atlanta's hand, twirling her around. Atlanta shook her head, but laughed and starting dancing with her anyways. Archie laughed as Theresa wrapped her arms around Atlanta, singing along to the song. He was glad to see them goofing around without a care in the world. Now if only Jay could relax and stop sending nervous glances towards all the exits every five seconds…but at least he was on the dance floor. Maybe some girl could come and distract him for a little while, get him to loosen up. Archie blinked as Theresa pressed up against him, her body moving wickedly against his. Speaking of girls…

He grinned smugly down at his partner, slipping his arm around her waist, fingers teasing the bare skin at the small of her back. He bit back a groan at the feel of her body pressing into him, the smell of her perfume and just **her**, the way she was biting her lip…The beat of the music pulsed through the room, settling heavy in their veins, minds lost to the heady warmth that encased them.

Atlanta shrieked and smacked Neil's chest as he pulled her toward him, spinning them around in a poor attempt at salsa. She laughed as he demanded she remove her heels, claiming they were 'wasted on her'. She wholeheartedly agreed and flung them off to the side. Neil smirked down at her and switched them to a tango, arms out and cheeks smushed together. And all Atlanta could do was laugh as she realized this was the most fun she'd had in awhile.

Neil couldn't wipe the stupid grin off his face. He was glad Atlanta had decided to be his date. Sure, she was no supermodel, but she was spunky, and cute, and fun, and his friend. Now partner. And he wanted to prove that he could be a good partner to her. Make her happy. Become better friends. He'd never had friends like this before -real friends- and he would try his damnedest for them. For Atlanta. Because she deserved that much, at least.

Neil sighed as the DJ announces the last song of the night, a slow song. He half turned to leave the dance floor, glancing a Atlanta. She looked up at him, head tilted to the side. She shrugged and gestured to the floor, slightly uncertain. The corner of Neil's lips tugged upward, and he shrugged back, turning to face her as he took her hand. _Why the hell not_, they both thought.

Theresa sighed, gasping for breath as the last song came on, and she turned to leave. A hand at her elbow stopped her, and she gave Archie a quizzical look as he pulled her back, arms going around her waist. He shrugged and smirked down at her. She tilted her head to the side and laughed softly, swaying with him. She spied Neil with Atlanta, her feet on top of his as they smirked at each other, and smiled gently, resting her head on Archie's chest.

Jay had stepped off the floor, along with Herry and Odie, and stood with them, watching their friends. Jealousy surged through him as Archie tucked Theresa under his chin, holding her close as they swayed. That should have been him, not Archie. Archie was supposed to be with Atlanta, not Theresa. He never even really got along or hung out with Theresa! She was supposed to be **his**!

He ducked his head and took a deep breath as the angry thoughts swirled in his mind. _You were the one who never made a move. The one that let her go. She never knew how you felt either, because you're too cowardly to tell her. And what good would it do now? What good would it do anyways, until Cronus is gone, and we can just be teenagers again?_ Jay shook his head. A hand clapping down on his shoulder startled him, and he looked up to see Herry watching him, understanding in his eyes. Jay offered him a weak smile and nodded as the lights turned on, and the ballroom cleared out. The night was over.

"So, what do we do now?" Herry asked as they piled into his truck. "The night's still young after all."

"How bout we go to the beach? Herry's right, we can't go home just yet," Odie suggested.

"Not that we'll even be going home really. Everything changes after tonight," Atlanta added as they drove to the beach. Theresa glanced over at her usually upbeat friend, such a comment never expected from her. She glanced out the window at the almost full moon and smiled.

"Things change every day. Why should tomorrow be any different?" she mused as they pulled up to a deserted section of beach. Atlanta blinked, then laughed as they jumped, bare foot, out of the truck.

"I suppose you have a very valid point Terri. So what about tomorrow. We'll still be together, and Cronus will still be out there," she grinned and ran down to the water. Theresa followed at a slower pace, Archie trailing behind her. Stepping into the cool water, she gazed once more at the moon, wondering herself at all that would happen come the morn.

"She's right," Archie murmured softly, stepping tentatively behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders. "Everything changes. But nothing really does. Whatever happens, whatever becomes of us, I will always be your partner. At your side, ready to protect you Theresa. I promise."

She tilted her head back till she could see him, smiling ever so softly up at him, eyes shimmering. Her hand reached up to cup his cheek.

"I know Archie. I know."

As the hope inside the young leader died a little more watching them, a sinister grin grew on the face of an elder god gazing into his seeing pool. A perfect finger delicately traced the killing edge of a scythe as he turned from the pool.

"Have your peace for now children. There will be Time enough for me to destroy you yet, however hard and long you train. We shall meet again, someday soon, my granddaughter. And then, you shall be mine." Cronus walked away from the image of a smiling, serene Theresa, malicious laughter echoing in the cave as the shadows themselves shuddered and shrank away.


	11. Chapter the Eleventh

**Chapter the Eleventh**

Theresa sighed as they walked through the portal and entered the gods' domain. She had a feeling it would seem like an eternity before they walked back out, to live their lives freely once more. She glanced up at Archie and again wondered what Fate had in store for them. If they would both come out of this alive and whole. She hid a smile and turned away as Archie yawned widely, scratching the back of his head. It was late; they had stayed at the beach an hour or more after leaving their graduation dance. Athena had told them their belongings would be moved while they were at the dance, so they hadn't stopped at the brownstone. Theresa felt a momentary pang of longing wash over her. She shook her head, and looped her arm through Archie's, leaning her head tiredly against his shoulder as they walked.

Neil and Atlanta followed behind them, the blond carrying the redhead after she had claimed that the shoes he had picked had 'destroyed her feet irrevocably for the foreseeable future'. Neil had just sighed dramatically and knelt, warning her not to damage his hair as she grinned and clambered onto his back. Neil yawned widely and shifted her weight. Atlanta glanced up at Jay sleepily as he led the way.

"So…where are we supposed to go now?" she questioned, chin digging into Neil's shoulder. She ignored his complaints as Jay turned down another hall, glancing back at the rest of his team.

"We'll go ask Hera. I'm sure we'll all have designated areas to stay in, close to our mentors," he shrugged and paused to briefly knock on the door to Hera's aviary before entering. The goddess greeted them with a small smile as she petted one of her peacocks.

"Welcome home children," she stood and walked toward them. "I trust you had a wonderful evening."

"We did, thank you Hera," Jay smiled, biting back a yawn. It had been a long day and he was starting to feel it. He shifted on his feet and tried not to slouch. "We were just wondering where we would be staying tonight."

"Of course. You must all be exhausted," Hera nodded and started towards the door. "Come. I will show you to each of your quarters so you may get some rest. Tomorrow will undoubtedly be draining."

Odie exchanged a glance with Herry and sighed, trailing behind the rest of the team as they followed the goddess through the halls. Odie frowned slightly, vaguely imagining all sorts of horrible things to be done to him in training with Ares. His shoulders fell, head hanging down. Would it be possible to just sleep through tomorrow? Herry gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, feeling sorry for his little buddy. He himself was looking forward to whatever the gods wanted to throw their way, but that didn't mean he expected everyone else to feel the same way. They paused finally near Hermes' work area. Hera gestured to a simple wooden door.

"Odie, these are your quarters," Hera smiled softly as the young boy staggered gratefully through his door, mumbling a goodnight to his friends. They returned it and staggered wearily onward. Their next stop was Aphrodite's nest.

"Oh thank goodness!" Neil exclaimed as he saw a smaller version of Aphrodite's golden door and hurried toward it. "My arms are killing me!"

"Hey!" Atlanta perked up slightly at the insult. "Watch it, or I'll make your head hurt worse."

Hera gave them a bemused look before continuing on down the hall. Theresa glanced up at Archie and shared an eye roll with him, Herry grinning as Jay shook his head.

"You know, I'm already looking forward to tomorrow morning," Herry chuckled. Jay gave him a lopsided grin as they paused outside Hercules' office.

"Me too, if only because it means we make it through tonight without those two doing anything crazy," he agreed. He looked over at Theresa and Archie and gave them a weary smile as Herry opened their door. "Good night you guys. Hopefully we'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight Jay, Herry. Sleep tight," Theresa beamed at the two boys as Archie raised his hand half-heartedly. He turned to Hera and half sighed, half yawned.

"So I'm guessing we're staying near Persephone?" he asked, tugging Theresa down the hall.

"That's right. She felt it would be more prudent to have you closer to her, even though she does not spend her nights here. She comes back by dawn and leaves after dusk, so should you need her for anything during that time, do not hesitate to ask, Theresa. And should anything occur during the night while she is with Hades, please come to me immediately," Hera told them sternly, holding Theresa's gaze as they stopped outside the solarium. The redhead nodded, tightening her grip on Archie.

"Of course Hera. I'll come right away if anything happens. Or Archie will, if I can't," she smiled tightly. "Goodnight then."

The wife of Zeus bid them a good night and left, leaving the pair alone in the darkened hall. Archie studied the double doors in front of him as if they held the answers to the universe. All he gathered from them was that they were unfortunately patterned with an engraving of roses and vines, and that he would die before letting the others see it. Theresa tugged on his arm and opened one of the doors.

"Come on then. Let's see what it's like before we faint from exhaustion," she teased. He smiled and let her boss him about, closing the door behind them.

The first thing he noticed about his new rooms was the faintly lingering scent of lavender. He breathed in deeply, letting the soothing scent wash over him as Theresa moved away. He opened his eyes, not quite remembering when they had closed, and glanced about the place. They were standing in a sitting room: two low couches lay in front of a fireplace. A table rested between the two, fresh fruit placed in a basket atop it. Warm coloured tapestries depicting their ancestors decorated the walls in a sumptuous but not overpowering manner. Archie's books covered one wall of the room, while his and Theresa's weapons were arranged on the opposite wall. There were two doorways, one off to the left, the other straight ahead.

Theresa wandered toward the far doorway, peeking through. She let out a small cry as she found a tiny kitchenette, complete with a little bistro table and chairs. It reminded her of the backyard patio back at the brownstone, making her smile fondly. She heard Archie in the other room, opening to the door to what must have led to their bedrooms. She gave the table one last smile before turning to join him.

"Uh, Theresa?" he called to her. "You might wanna come see this."

"Why? What's wrong?" she asked, walking through the other door to stand beside him. She blinked at the room before looking up at him. She saw his eye twitch when he looked down at her, his arms waving towards the room.

"There's only one bed_**. **__One! _This has to be some sick joke that Persephone's pulling. I told you, she wants to kill me! Now she'll just have an excuse!" Archie raved as Theresa sighed and pulled his arms down, forcing him to look at her.

"Archie. Pull it together for crying out loud. Yes, there is only one bed, but look at the size of it! It's like two king beds put together; we could fit the entire team on it and still have enough room for all of us to roll around," she stated calmly, trying not to roll her eyes. "And no, I seriously doubt this was Persephone's doing. This feels a lot more like Aphrodite to me."

And indeed, there was one gigantic bed standing in the middle of the room, draped in expensive looking bedding, covered in a mound of feather pillows. The room reeked of wealth and indulgence: hints of gold glinted everywhere along with deep, rich violet brocades on the furniture that was evened out by a lighter lilac shade on the walls. Two patterned dressing panels stood on either side of the bed, a gold one for Theresa and a silver one for Archie. Another door to the right led through to the bathroom, Theresa supposed. She sighed and walked behind her dressing panel, finding an enormous mahogany wardrobe there. She grabbed out her nightgown and stalked back out to the bathroom, too tired to investigate any further. Archie still stood in the doorway, looking like he was about to foam at the mouth.

"Archie?" Theresa ventured wearily. He shook his head and crossed his arms stubbornly.

"No way! I don't care how big the damn bed is, it's just not right. I can't share a bed with you! Do you know how-how-_inappropriate_ that is?" he scowled, cheeks flushing bright red. His partner blinked in shock, her mouth hanging open slightly. She shook her head, eyes closing momentarily as she stalked into the bathroom.

"Honestly Archie, shouldn't I be the one commenting on that? Personally I don't really care. The bed is big enough for us to roll over twice and still not touch. Plus if you did try anything, I'd break you," she shrugged and opened her eyes, gasping in further amazement. "Oh! Oh Archie, come here! Look at this bathroom!"

He stood sulkily in the door a moment longer, stubbornly not wanting to move until she agreed with him. But he could hear her little cries of wonder over in the stupid bathroom, curiosity gnawing at him until finally he threw his hands up and joined her. He raised an eyebrow.

"Huh," was his intelligent comment on the splendour of their personal lavatory. Theresa rolled her eyes good naturedly as he took it in. A large double sink area complete with granite vanity stood to their left, a huge mirror reflecting his stunned visage. A small water closet stood with the door closed to his right. Beyond these stood a huge shower with multiple shower heads, and a sunken bathing pool. Theresa giddily danced over to the pool, kneeling to let her hand dip into the water.

"Oo, it's so warm! Look at the stream coming off it! This is like having our own personal hot spring, right here in our bathroom. Do you how good this will feel after a long day of training with Ares?" she laughed, glancing up at her partner, eyes sparkling. Archie grinned down at her, rubbing his hands together.

"Now that's one body of water I might not mind sitting in," he agreed, stifling another yawn. "But seriously Terri, the bed-"

"Oh Archie, stop being a prude. I told you I don't care," Theresa stood, turning her back to him. She glanced over her shoulder mischievously. She reached up to her shoulders and started slipping her dress off slowly. "Besides, you should be more concerned with the fact that I want to shower, and you're still in here."

"Gah!" Archie hastily covered his eyes as he scrambled out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. He panted harshly, hearing Theresa laugh wickedly behind him. _Damn woman! And not one single word out of you, you….whatever you are! __**Conscience? **__Ha! Not likely. Not a very good one anyways. _Archie huffed and shook his head, stalking away from the washroom to the other side of the giant bed, behind his dressing panel. He jerkily began undressing, a scowl marring his face as he changed into a pair of pyjama pants, taking the time to neatly hang his suit away as he tried to calm down. Taking a deep breath, he walked back out from behind his panel. The shower ran quietly in the background as he faced off with the bed. The momentary bane of his existence.

_I'm not a prude. I just don't think it's right for there to only be one bed for a girl and a guy. Who aren't involved….like that. Or, for a Theresa and an Archie, who aren't involved. At all. For that matter, we shouldn't even really be in the same room together! I mean, a guy needs his privacy! __**Especially first thing in the morning right?**__ I swear, if I could cut you out of my brain, I would. But, yeah. This could get…awkward. And embarrassing…so very, very embarrassing. Why, oh why did Aphrodite design the rooms? What were the gods thinking? Has Persephone seen this? No, of course not, if she had there would be two separate bedrooms, duh Arch._

"Honestly Archie, are you _still_ hung up on the bed? Staring at it like that isn't going to make it magically morph into two beds you know."

Archie jumped and bit back a startled yelp as Theresa swept into the room, clambering onto her side of the bed. He had been so wrapped up in his thoughts, he hadn't heard the shower shut off. She smiled sunnily up at him and patted the bed beside her.

"C'mon Arch. It's late, I'm tired and I want to sleep before getting my ass kicked in training. I promise not to take advantage of you in your sleep," she teased sweetly, crawling beneath the blankets. Archie scoffed and jerked back the blankets on his side. Hers didn't even twitch, the bed was so large. He settled in beneath them, glaring across the bed at her.

"You better not," he closed his eyes tiredly as she giggled softly. He heard her clap, and slit one eye open. It was pitch black in the room. "Hmph. Clapper lights. Wow, yeah, must have been Aphrodite that designed this room, 'cause that's cheesy."

"I like it. Much handier then getting up," Theresa mumbled and rolled over to face him. She sighed and snuggled into the blankets. "Night Arch."

"G'night Terri. No dreams please."

She mumbled something inaudible and Archie smiled before he drifted off into dreamland.

* * *

Archie sighed and rolled over sleepily, squinting as a beam of sunlight fell across his face. He opened his eyes blearily and was greeted by the sight of Theresa sleeping across the bed from him.

_Oh ya. Forgot about that. Where's that sunlight coming from? I didn't see any windows last night…_

Archie grumbled a bit and rolled onto his back, and got blasted full in the face by obnoxious sunlight as it streamed down into the room from the skylight windows twenty feet above them. He scowled and rolled onto his stomach, facing Theresa again. She was still sleeping peacefully, seemingly unbothered by the sun hitting her in the face. Archie felt himself relax again and smiled gently at the way the sunlight turned her hair into fire, the red strands burning their way across the pillows. One of her hands was tucked into a fist beneath her chin and the other lay loosely across the bed, reaching towards him. Her lips were parted slightly and he could hear the steady breaths she took. He took the opportunity to admire her pretty features. The curves of her body as the blankets clung to her. How small her hands seemed…

His stomach chose that moment to rumble loudly in protest.

_Damn it. So hungry. I wonder what time it is…and when we were supposed to get up. I hope we aren't late for anything. Though I'm sure Ares would have been in here, bellowing at us to get our lazy asses out of bed if we were. I should probably wake Theresa up anyways, so we can eat and find out what exactly we're supposed to be doing around here._

Archie sighed and scooted across the bed until he was close enough to reach her. He grabbed her shoulder and gently shook her.

"Terri. Time to wake up. C'mon Theresa, up," he shook her again as she grumbled and scrunched her face. He snorted as she pouted and tried to roll away. "Oh no you don't. C'mon, we need to get up and find out what's going on."

Theresa sighed as Archie continued shaking her, slowly opening her eyes to glare up at him. He grinned cheerfully down at her. She raised one leg and planted her foot against his chest, shoving him away. He just laughed and clambered out of the giant bed.

"Well good morning sunshine. I'm gonna go make us some breakfast, and if you aren't out there in five minutes, I'm coming back and dragging you out of here," he smirked as she flashed a rude gesture his way, and left to investigate the kitchenette. Theresa groaned as she flung back the blankets and dragged herself out of bed, stumbling after Archie. She could hear pots banging as she yawned and stretched lazily, going to slump down on one of the chairs. She idly watched him as he cracked eggs into a pot and turned to search the fridge again.

_He's still only wearing pyjama pants. Not that I'm complaining about the view. I wonder if he normally sleeps like that? Or maybe in nothing at all…Hmmm…Oh dear, I think he just asked me something._

"Hmm?" Theresa tore her eyes from his chest to meet his eyes, and gave him a sleepy smile. "You say something?"

"Yeah. You want orange juice?" Archie raised an eyebrow at her as she nodded, pouring her a glass. "You always this comatose in the morning?"

"It was a late night last night," Theresa grumbled defensively into her glass. "Now shaddup and gimme food."

Archie laughed and brought their breakfast over to the little table. They sat in companionable silence as they ate, neither one quite used to not having five other people at the table with them. Their eyes caught a few times between glances at each other, and they both flushed, feeling oddly shy and maybe a little awkward at the realization that they would have a lot of time to spend together from then on. Archie sighed and sat back, watching as Theresa cleared their plates, setting them in the sink to be washed.

"Sooo…" he cleared his throat, looking away as she gave him a mocking smile over her shoulder. "I guess we should see if Persephone is here. I guess if she's not we could go find Ares, or something."

"Sure. I wonder how well Neil and Atlanta got along last night. I think they may have been too tired to fight too much," Theresa mused as she stood at the sink, hands immersed in soapy water. She smiled as she remembered Neil giving Atlanta a piggy back ride down the halls. Archie stood and stretched, leaving the kitchen to get dressed.

"Somehow I doubt that. Though, they don't really fight so much as, bicker like little children. Now us, we fight. Them? Most of the time they sound like two five year olds," he snorted. Theresa shook her head with a smile and quickly finished up with the dishes. They dressed quickly behind their personal screens, and awkwardly shared the bathroom as they washed up before leaving their rooms to find Persephone.

They found her readily enough, watering roses in her solarium. Agreeing to keep silent on the matter of a single bed when she asked how they liked the rooms, they both just smiled and said they were fine. Persephone raised an eyebrow and gave them a look that said she didn't fully believe them, but let the matter drop. She told them that Ares had them for the full day today, just so he could explain his portion of their new routine and do some testing on them. She would have them for the full day tomorrow, and then afterwards their time would be divided between the two.

Theresa sighed as they walked down the hall towards the gym. She had really been hoping to spend more time with Persephone, as her main concern at the moment was of a psychic nature and therefore in need of guidance. She didn't really think a workout was going to help her any. She glanced up at Archie and scowled. Undoubtedly, he felt the exact opposite about the situation. She wasn't really sure why he thought Persephone was bent on _killing_ him. He hadn't really done anything to warrant that suspicion… Theresa shrugged. _Well if it makes him behave, might as well let him believe that. I know Persephone is scary enough, even when she's being sweet. Sometimes, more so when she's being nice. Like she's laying in wait to be evil._ She shuddered and followed slowly after Archie into the gym, noticing Ares laying out a few choice weapons. She sighed.

"Hey Ares! What are we doing today?" Archie asked excitedly as he caught sight of the swords and war axes being laid out. He gleefully rubbed his hands together as Ares smirked down at him.

"Today I'm going to test your proficiency with a variety of weapons, as well as hand to hand combat. Then we'll see where your weaknesses lie and try to balance them out between the two of you," Ares grinned, sharing the boy's excitement. He may not be completely comfortable with Theresa's powers, but he knew she could deliver a good fight, and that Archie could easily match her. And he got to train the two of them into perfect Cronus killing machines. It was a good day for Ares. "Alright! Warm up first! Then weapons combat!"

Theresa groaned and headed over to a mat to do stretches, Archie following enthusiastically.

"Today's gonna be a good day, I can feel!" Archie grinned over at his partner. She shot him a look of pure disdain, and he pouted. "Aw come on Terri, be a little bit excited, won't ya?"

"And why, exactly, would I be excited about spending a whole day in full out combat mode? Already I miss our bed and that beautiful, steaming hot spring," she sighed. Archie glared at her, scowling as he shot a quick glance toward Ares.

"Will you stop calling it 'our' bed? Do you know how wrong that sounds? Geez," he demanded. She stuck her tongue out, earning an eye roll from him. He scoffed. "Oh real mature Theresa."

Theresa stuck her nose in the air and waltzed away from him, toward the weapons. She hefted an axe in her hands, testing its weight.

"You want to talk about maturity? How about maturely dealing with our sleeping arrangements? Which are purely innocent, contrary to whatever your dirty mind is thinking of," Theresa swung the axe around lightly, giving him a dirty look. He flushed red and stomped over to her.

"Listen here woman," he growled. Theresa raised her eyebrows. _Woman?_ She poked him in the chest with the axe. Archie huffed and pushed the offending axe away.

"No, you listen here Archie. We are partners. We are supposed to trust each other, right?" she gave him a harsh, stern look. He gave a curt nod in agreement. Her eyes softened slightly and she leaned toward him. "So then trust me when I say you're making a big deal out of this. Look, when you really think about it, this set up is probably best for us. We don't know when, or even if, those dreams will stop. And if I need help but can't get it myself, then you'll be there for me. You'll know immediately if something is wrong, and you'll be able to help me. I know it might not be the most comfortable situation in the world, but neither was living in the brownstone together for the first little while. We'll get used to it."

Archie took a deep breath and slowly released it, eyes closing. Theresa raised some very good points. He did need to be close to her in case she needed him. And being able to adjust to any situation had kept them alive more than once. He opened his eyes, looking down at her.

"You raise a very good point. But. I don't think it's immature to be a little….put out by our sleeping arrangements. I mean, what are the others going to think of it, huh?" he challenged, grabbing a sword similar to Jay's xiphos for himself. Theresa shrugged and watched him eye the sword critically.

"I don't particularly care. Why do we even need to tell them anyways? It's not like we have to advertise our living arrangements for everyone," she sighed, wondering if they could get through the day without harming each other. She was seriously beginning to doubt it. She shrugged inwardly and took a swipe at him with the axe.

"Because, if you keep calling it 'ours', they're gonna-Hey!" Archie yelped and jumped aside as she swiped at him. Theresa smirked and followed after him, forcing him to dodge again. He scowled and stopped, switching to the offensive as he pushed back against her advances. "If you think you're gonna distract me by attacking me with a sharp, pointy weapon, you've got another thing coming!"

Ares watched in delight as they danced across the gymnasium floor, weapons flashing and taunts goading each other on. They were in fine fighting form today, apparently. He sighed as he relished the sound of steel clanging on steel, faint memories of a more bloodthirsty time flirting at the edge of his mind. Shaking his head, he regretfully pushed those thoughts away and focussed on the teens, eyeing them critically.

"Archie! Keep your shoulder up! Don't let her get under your guard! And Theresa! Make your recovery faster! I don't want to see your back exposed to him for even a second!"

Theresa groaned as she lifted her burning arms for another block. Really, was Ares going to give them any mercy in the days to come? _Does Ares even __**know **__the word mercy? Somehow seriously doubt it, and Archie's no better! Guhraarghh! _Panting for breath, she skipped back a few steps and dropped her axe. Spinning, she sprinted to the weapons table and snatched a few throwing daggers on her way past. Glancing behind her, she noticed Archie had dropped his sword and was following her swiftly, grabbing a simple whipcord from the table. He gave her a smirk as he got closer.

_Damn stupid look on his face. Hate this, hate this, __**hate this.**__ Eep!_

Archie struggled not to laugh as he almost caught her with the whip. She dodge at the last second, and somehow he knew it had been uncanny instinct that saved her hide. She shot him a glare and fired off one of her daggers at him. He moved swiftly to the side, the sharp blade whizzing past him to bury itself in one of the marble columns. Archie felt the corner of his eye twitch.

_That's…crazy! Is she channelling Herry or something? Better check for freaky glowing eyes before going any further Arch._

Archie let his pace slow as he slipped behind another column, intent on catching his breath and assessing the situation. He could still vividly remember the crater Theresa had put in the floor last time they fought. He had no desire for her to do that to his face instead. Letting his head fall back, he forced his breathing to slow, listening for any sound of his partner moving around the large room.

Theresa had also taken to hiding beneath a column, breathing heavily as she bent over her knees. She had forgotten just how fast Archie was, so much more used to thinking of Atlanta as the speed demon in their group. But apparently immunity, a wonky ankle and an aversion to water weren't the only things Archie inherited from Achilles. Gasping in a few more lungful of air, she cautiously poked her head out and glanced around the gym. Narrowing her eyes when she didn't see him, she cautiously crept out, and let her eyes fall half-closed.

_Oh Aarchiiiie…where are you hiding? I can feel you; you're close…_

A rustling to his left was the only warning he got; he ducked and spun away from the column, where another small dagger was now lodged. A small piece of his shirt pinned underneath it. Theresa scowled as he moved away. She had hoped to pin him by the shirt there, but apparently she wasn't that lucky. She darted away quickly, heading back to the table as she was now weapon less. And Archie still had that damn whip of his. Grinning as he saw her direction, Archie cut to the left, hoping to get ahead of her. Sweat beaded on Theresa's brow as she ran full tilt, one eye on her partner. Ten feet away. She could make it.

Seven feet.

Three feet.

One foot. She could just reach out…

"Uff!" she cried as she was suddenly stopped short. A quick jerk and she was flat on her back, whipcord wrapped about her waist. She huffed and blew a sweaty strand of hair out of her face. Clinking steel tapped up beside her head and she glanced up. Archie smirked down at her, one hand loosely holding the handle of the whip. Theresa scowled up at him and smacked away the hand he offered her, pushing herself up stubbornly. They both glanced back at Ares when he let out a gruff bark of laughter and clapped his hands together.

"Excellent! Most excellent. Theresa, that was impressive work with the daggers. Your aim and strength is good. We just need to work on your speed and stamina more. Archie, perfect harmony with the weapons, as usual. Though I have a feeling you're little witch may show you a thing or two in hand to hand combat," Ares smirked as the smug grin on Archie's face fell, the boy casting an apprehensive look at the redhead. He remembered all too well what else happened besides the crater that day. Theresa simply smirked condescendingly at him. "Take a break!"

They both sat on a nearby bench, heavily gasping for breath as they drank deeply from their water bottles. Archie glanced over at his partner.

"So, uh, please don't sack me again?" he asked with a tentative grin. Theresa laughed and shook her head.

"I won't, I promise. I felt so bad after I did that," she sighed and leaned back, swiping her forehead with the back of her arm. "Phew! You sure are fast Archie!"

"Yeah, well," he shrugged modestly. He nudged her shoulder. "What about you? Burying daggers in marble columns, eh? How'd that happen?"

Theresa frowned as she glanced at said daggers, still buried in said columns.

"Not sure myself. I didn't feel any different when I was throwing them…" she mused. Shrugging as Ares called for them to move to the mats for their hand to hand portion of combat, she put it out of her mind. Taking a deep breath, she sank into a readied stance, feet apart. Sending a smirk over to Archie as he stood across from her, loosely mimicking her posture. He held his fists up, close to his chin, looking more ready for a boxing match than anything.

"So, uh, you're a black belt right?" he gave her an anticipatory grin, tight around the edges. Her smirk widened.

"That's right. Second degree black belt in Taekwondo," Theresa answered calmly, shifting her weight ever so slightly. Archie whistled appreciatively, making her flush. "It's not that great. There's still seven more degrees after that."

"Wow. Never knew that. Still impressive though. Now, you gonna show me some fancy moves, or what?" Archie grinned and came at her. His attack was lightning fast, but Theresa was faster. Before he could blink Archie found himself flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He could hear Ares laughing in the background as Theresa leaned over him, grinning.

"Sorry Arch. But against a beginner like you? Fancy moves would just be a waste," she giggled at his gob smacked look. He stared up at her a moment longer before a grin slowly spread across his face and he leaped up again.

"You laid me out in like, two seconds flat! Oh, you've GOT to show me how Terri," Archie laughed harshly, ready for round two. Theresa shrugged and sank back down again.

"Alright. If you're sure," she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Oh yeah. Definitely," he gave her a feral grin, which she readily answered.

"You asked for it," she gleefully warned. He bounced excitedly on the balls of his feet, watching her carefully as he waited for her to strike. He could feel the adrenaline starting to course through his body, the excitement of learning a new style of fighting more than making up for any embarrassment he might have felt at getting taken down so quickly and efficiently just moments ago.

"Bring it on."

So she did.

* * *

Archie groaned as he gingerly sat on the benches, feeling thoroughly thrashed and bruised all over. Theresa gave him a sheepish grin as she passed him a bottle of water.

"I did warn you. But you never listen. You stubborn man," she sighed. He shrugged and grinned at her.

"Nah. I had a lot of fun, despite the bruising that will no doubt occur from being slammed into the floor however many times," Archie insisted. Theresa shook her head hopelessly.

"Well, maybe next time, you'll at least let me teach you how to fall properly. Instead of insisting that 'this time you won't fall'," she snorted as Ares approached them, a thoughtful look on his face. He eyed them speculatively, running a hand over his moustache.

"Not bad. For mortal children, that is. Yes, not bad at all. Plenty to work with yet…" he muttered. Theresa and Archie exchanged tired glances and shrugged at each other as Ares continued muttering to himself. Their muscles ached and they fervently hoped to be done for the day. Ares had definitely pushed them, sussing out their strengths and weaknesses. Every little flaw that needed correcting, areas to improve upon. And they had pushed each other in turn, teaching each other new tricks.

"Alright, I'm done with you. For now. There's a dining hall set aside for you seven to use, just down the hall. I would imagine the rest of your team have been there for some time now. Hmph. Some gods are just too soft," Ares grimaced down at them. "Get out of here! I'll see you the morning after tomorrow."

Trying to contain their glee, they quickly left the gym. Glancing at each other in the hall they burst out laughing, leaning against each other for support.

"Come on, let's shower and then find the others," Theresa grinned up at her partner. Archie smirked down at her, pulling away.

"Sounds good. Race ya!" he shouted and took off to their rooms. Theresa yelped and ran after him in disbelief.

"How can you run after that hell we went through?"

"I'll do anything for the lure of a hot shower!"

"Not fair! Haven't you heard of ladies first, Archie?"

"You're no lady Theresa!"

"Screw you! I'm gonna drown you in that pool!"

Their shouts echoed down the hall as they tiredly scrambled to be first home and thus, first in the coveted shower.

* * *

Theresa stuck her nose in the air as Archie held the dining hall door open for her.

"Thought I wasn't a lady," she sniffed haughtily.

"Nope. But you _are_ royalty," he grinned down at her. She glanced at him quizzically. "Drama Queen."

She rolled her eyes and stomped away, flopping down next to an equally annoyed Atlanta. They shared aggravated looks as Archie flopped down on Theresa's other side. Neil sat beside Atlanta at the low, round table. Giant pillows served as chairs and the table was laden with food. Theresa nudged Atlanta.

"So? As bad as you thought?" Theresa grinned. Atlanta gave her a dark glower.

"Worse. You know, I don't know who's worse: Neil or Aphrodite. She gave us _one_ bed. _One!_ I know she's the goddess of love and all, but come on! And it was _round!_ How cheesy is that? I made Neil sleep on the couch," Atlanta huffed, taking a large gulp of juice to wash down her tirade. Neil pouted beside her.

"I still don't see why you got the bed. You were practically hanging off the edge this morning anyways. Waste of a perfectly good bed. While I had to sleep on that tiny little _divan_," Neil muttered. Theresa bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"Huh. Aphrodite _must_ have done our room. We've only got one bed too," Archie wondered distractedly as he piled his plate with food.

"Really? Well at least I wasn't the only one who had to suffer with a horrible sleeping surface," Neil brightened. Archie smirked up at him.

"No, you were the only one. We were quite cozy together in our non-round bed," he said nonchalantly. Theresa elbowed him in the ribs, noticing the stricken look on Jay's face.

"Honestly Archie, could you say that in a worse way?" Theresa rolled her eyes, scowling at him. She didn't know why she had the irrational urge to take that look off Jay's face, but she did. And Archie's smug grin was getting annoying. He enjoyed riling Jay and Neil up far too much. " 'Our bed' as you say, is large enough for the whole team to sleep in, with room to spare."

"Exactly. So we were both cozy, together, in our giant bed. Geez Theresa, no need to be snippy," Archie grumbled, rubbing his side. She had very pointy elbows. He glanced over at Herry and Jay, grinning widely. "Please don't tell me you two are sharing a bed. Even Aphrodite has to have her limits."

"Of course not. That would just be…weird," Jay shot him a glare as Herry inched discretely away from him. Atlanta spluttered as she choked on her juice. She slammed down the glass and glared at her Leader.

"What? So, what, it's normal for Neil and I to share a bed? Or Theresa and Archie? I think it'd be a helluva lot more normal for two boys to share a bed!" she cried indignantly. Picking up her fork, she waved it menacingly. "All I know is that there better be _two_ beds when we go home tonight, or there's gonna be hell to pay."

"Damn right. Because no way am I sleeping on a divan two nights in a row," Neil sniffed. "Though Aphrodite does love playing matchmaker, that is just horribly unsubtle and my beauty sleep is far more important. As if it's not bad enough with all this stress, I mean the last thing I need is a break-out. Unlike the rest of you, I have a career to go back to after this is all over…"

They let Neil ramble on about his beauty needs, too tired to do much else but listen with half an ear. Jay stabbed his fork viciously into his food, glowering down at it. Sneaking a quick glance at Theresa and Archie, he saw her frowning at her partner. A smirk tugged at his lips for a moment before it fell again

_So they shared a giant bed last night. So what? Theresa doesn't look too thrilled, even if Archie needs to have that damn smug grin wiped off his face…It doesn't mean anything. Aphrodite can fix it tonight. He just wants to make me jealous, which we can't afford. Besides _I _can't afford to focus just on Theresa, no matter how much I might want to…Damn it…_

Theresa for her part, was tiredly wondering why Archie seemed to be trying to deliberately provoke their Leader. It was stupid and pointless.

_It's not like he would even really care, in that way at least. He probably just doesn't want our team dynamics thrown off even more than they already are. I think it's pretty obvious he doesn't care what I do in my personal life. And why is Archie starting a pissing contest anyways? He doesn't even approve of…well the idea of me and Jay, so why he should want to inspire jealousy in Jay is beyond me. And why the hell do I even care?_

She glared at Archie again for good measure. He glanced at her and gave her a wounded look. Theresa rolled her eyes and lay back against her cushion. Jay cleared his throat.

"So, what's everyone's schedule like?" he tried to ask casually, genuinely curious as to what his team was up to. Archie flopped back on his cushion, stretching his arms over his head.

"Well, Ares kicked our asses today, and Persephone's gonna wipe our brains tomorrow. After that, I'm not sure," he answered, glancing at his partner.

"I'm not sure either, though I'm sure we'll be switching between the two. Guess we'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out," Theresa shrugged.

"That's what Neil and I are doing," Atlanta piped up. "We spend a full day with Artemis, and then switch to Aphrodite the next day. We were with Aphrodite today."

"Hey, we're doing the same too!" Herry grinned excitedly. "We were with Hera today, and we've got Hercules tomorrow. So maybe we'll be able to train together?"

"Oo, maybe! That'd be cool!" Atlanta bounced excitedly on her cushion. She turned to Odie. "What about you Odie? Don't tell me Hermes is keeping you cooped up with him all the time."

"Not all the time," Odie grinned. "I'm spending some time with Hephaestus too. And I'm sure I'm gonna be forced into spending time in the gym with all of you guys."

"Aw, it won't be that bad Odie," Theresa smiled encouragingly. Archie snorted beside her, earning himself another glare from the redhead. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"What? 'It won't be that bad'? Come on Theresa, Ares is gonna eat him alive if he gets his hands on him. _We_ barely made it through the gauntlet," he pointed out. Giving Odie a sympathetic look, he shook his head. "Sorry man, but I'm not sure you'd survive it."

"G-gauntlet?" Odie gulped. He laughed nervously. "He's joking, right Theresa? He means gauntlet in a metaphorical sense, right?"

"Oh, how I wish he did," Theresa grumbled, rolling her eyes. "Unfortunately, it was quite literal, in every sense."

"You guys got a gauntlet? Wow, jealous!" Atlanta exclaimed. "I wonder if Ares would let us run it?"

"Are you insane?" Neil squawked, looking at his partner like she'd grown another head. She blinked up at him. "Why would you want to do something like that?"

"Uh, cuz it'd be fun. Duh?" she said dryly. Turning to Archie she began grilling him for details, ignoring the disbelieving look Neil was giving her.

"You have a weird idea of fun," he muttered, shuddering at the thought of being dragged through whatever hellish course Ares had designed. Theresa grinned at him.

"They both do Neil. It's just something we have to live with. Besides, while they're avoiding death for fun, we can do normal fun stuff. Like facials," she winked. Neil sat up excitedly, a devilish gleam suddenly springing up in his blue eyes.

"Ooo. You're right. Of course. Yes. Why didn't I think of that?" Neil muttered to himself, the evil grin of his face growing. Theresa had a feeling he wasn't talking about the two of them doing facials. "Hehe. If I'm gonna be forced through psychotic gauntlets tomorrow, then Lanta will suffer just the same. Maybe a seaweed wrap to start with…"

Theresa blinked and shook her head. Terrifying visions of the horrors those two would put each other through were dancing through her mind, and she was starting to freak herself out just a little bit. With a sigh, she stood and stretched languidly. Really, she should be more worried about what Persephone was going to put her and Archie through tomorrow.

"Well, like Archie said, Ares kicked our asses. I'm gonna head off to bed," she yawned. Archie glanced up at her, smothering an answering yawn, and stood with a groan, cracking his back.

"Yeeahh, probably a good idea. Need to be alert tomorrow. I still don't trust Persephone not to flay me alive if I fall asleep on her," he grimaced. Theresa rolled her eyes and laid a hand on his back, pushing him towards the door.

"Honestly Archie…" she sighed and glanced back at her other friends. "Good night guys."

The walk back to their rooms was silent, as Archie imagined various horrific scenarios with Persephone, and Theresa struggled not to smack him. Just because she couldn't read his mind (_yet_), didn't mean she couldn't read the looks on his face. She rolled her eyes again as they trudged tiredly into their bedroom.

_Damn, forgot about that stupid bed. Oh well, we can ask Aphrodite to fix it tomorrow. Now it's time for a soak in that hot spring!_

"I'm gonna take a bath. Want to join me?" she asked innocently, wandering into the bathroom. She heard Archie making choking noises behind her. Smirking quickly, Theresa glanced back at him, blinking her eyes cutely. "You know, I'm surprised you let it slip about us sharing a bed, considering how embarrassed you were earlier."

"Theresa! You can't just…ask me to share a _bath_ with you, and expect me not to react!" he cried, face flushing uncomfortably. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he deflated slightly. "And yeah…I like annoying Jay…and Neil. Whatever."

"Yeah, I got that," Theresa sighed, moving further into the washroom. "Come on Archie, it's not like it's a real bath. Haven't you ever been to a hot spring? You wear a towel. Besides, I want to relax and talk to you, and I prefer to do both at once. And I know that you're just as sore as I am. Probably worse, considering how much I threw you around."

Archie scoffed as she slipped behind a changing screen, quickly peeling off her clothes. Letting them drop, she wrapped a lightweight towel tightly around her body and stepped out. Archie still hovered in the doorway, looking torn as Theresa sank down into the hot spring, sighing blissfully as the hot water enveloped her.

"Promise not to let me drown in there?" Archie finally said, giving her a wary grin. She beamed back at him and splashed the water gently.

"I promise Archie. Now get your butt in here," she laughed. He let out a shaky breath and quickly changed. Eyeing the water distastefully, he dipped one foot in cautiously. Theresa held her breath, watching him intently, and reached out a hand to him. He took no shame in grabbing it and holding on for dear life. Willing the panic bubbling in his chest to subside, Archie slowly sat down, letting the warm water surround his body. Theresa squeezed his hand and let her head drop against his shoulder with a sigh, eyes falling closed.

Taking a deep breath, Archie tried to relax. Ignoring the fact that he was _immersed in a pool of water_, he concentrated instead on the heat soothing his aching muscles, and the feel of Theresa against him, their hands tightly intertwined. Clearing his throat, he glanced at her.

"So, uh. You wanted to talk?" he asked quietly, only a small tremor in his voice giving away his lingering anxiety. Theresa smiled happily, keeping her eyes closed as emotion swelled in her chest at the fact that he was so willing to trust her in this moment.

"Mm-hmm," she murmured, deciding to forget what happened earlier at dinner. "Are you nervous about tomorrow? I mean, seriously. Not, haha, Persephone is going to kill me, nervous. But actually…anxious, maybe?"

"Hm, maybe. Hadn't really thought about it. And, hey, Persephone killing me is a _real_ threat, thank you very much," Archie lied nonchalantly, playing nervously with her fingers. Truthfully, he _was_ a little worried about what tomorrow would bring. Had been worried about what every tomorrow would bring ever since they shared that first dream. He worried about how much deeper they were going to get before this was all over… about how much they were both going to change…if this really _would_ ever be over…

"Liar," Theresa smiled wryly, eyes opening. She knew how worried he was; it was the same worry she carried with her everyday. She was just better at hiding it. But…she had an eerie feeling that soon she wouldn't be able to hide much of anything from him. A shiver went down her spine, the tingling sensation of premonition that she had never quite got used to. She tilted her head up, catching his gaze. He raised an eyebrow and sighed.

"Yeah, okay. You got me. I'm worried about _you_ though. Everything's been happening so fast…What if Persephone pushes you too hard?" he let his gaze wander the planes of her face, seeking to suddenly memorize every single detail, every nuance that made her _Theresa._ A tingle ran down his spine as she smiled softly, her eyes shimmering like the water.

"Don't worry about that. I'm sure she won't push me any harder than Ares would. Maybe less, even," Theresa laughed, making Archie shake his head in frustration. "I think it's you who's going to need pushing in that area. Ever meditated before?"

"Uh, no. Can't say that I have," Archie muttered dubiously.

"Well then, you're gonna be in for a real treat tomorrow. It's not as easy as you think it is, and that's how I start off every session with Persephone," Theresa smirked.

"Oh goodie. Sounds fun," Archie scowled. Lifting his free hand out of the water, he showed it to her like a child with a new discovery. "I'm pruning, can we go to bed now?"

Theresa could only bury her head in his shoulder and laugh.

* * *

**A/N:** OMG! It's an update! So, I tried to do NaNoWriMo this year, and so far I have failed spectacularly. But it did get me in the writing mindset, enough to finally finish typing this chapter up. So I guess it wasn't a total fail XD. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I know it's been a LOOONG time since I updated. But this chapter ended up being twice as long as any other chapter, so hopefully that makes up for it? Just a little bit? Comments please and thank you!


	12. Chapter the Twelfth

**Chapter the Twelfth**

Atlanta yawned and stretched as she shuffled towards the couch, smirking as she heard Neil grumbling in the kitchen. After their first morning together, it had been decided that cooking was off-limits to Atlanta, courtesy of the grease fire she had started. In her defence, cooking over an open flame was much easier anyways.

Neil had not agreed.

Flopping down on the couch, Atlanta stifled another yawn. Oh well. This way, she got all of her meals made for her. And it turned out that Neil was a pretty good cook. Whether this came from true skill, more inherent good luck, or a combination of the two she wasn't sure. Though she wasn't about to question it. Her rumbling tummy agreed.

Life with Neil so far had been surprisingly... pleasant. She couldn't say it was _easy_, as they constantly annoyed one an other with their habits, but it was never too much of a challenge. Especially once she had stormed Aphrodite's sanctuary and demanded two separate beds. That issue taken care of, Atlanta had then drawn boundaries between her and Neil: personal and physical. She had told him, in no uncertain terms, exactly what topics were not open for discussion, what side of the room was hers, and to not touch any of her belongings.

Needless to say, Neil had listened for all of about five seconds. And had then proceeded to invade her territory, ask increasingly personal questions and toy with everything she owned.

She had not been pleased.

There was little she could do in retaliation though. As Neil had bluntly stated, the only objects that were sacred and thus off-limits were himself and his mirror. Everything else was replaceable. Should any harm come to his two sacred possessions though, she would pay. Dearly.

Atlanta rolled her eyes as she remembered how he had smirked and given her a wink, amending his decree slightly.

_"Well, unless you wanna turn these two beds back into one. Then you can touch me all you;d like."_

That had earned him a punch to the arm. Still, all that aside, she found herself happily surprised that life with Neil wasn't quite the chore she had imagined. Especially considering she _knew_ that she herself was not the most easy going person around. Huffing to herself, she struggled up off the couch and wandered into the kitchen.

"Dinner ready yet?" she smirked as she sat at the table. Only Neil could get away with wearing a pink, frilly apron that said _Kiss the Cook!_ and still be masculine in the extreme. He gave her a glance and turned with a flourish, two plates in hand.

"Voila! Once again, I have created an edible masterpiece for you to enjoy, you ungrateful wench," Neil grinned as Atlanta gave him a sour look.

"Ooo, look who's been reading the dictionary. Good for you," she cooed, sarcasm dripping heavily from her lips. Neil pouted at her and turned his nose up with a sniff. He moved to take away her plate.

"You see? You don't deserve it!"

"Hey now! That's mine! Give it back!" Atlanta snatched back her plate with a grin, sticking her tongue out at him. He rolled his eyes and settled down to eat, a comfortable silence falling over them as Atlanta did likewise. She had to grudgingly admit (to herself) that the food was, once again, mouth wateringly delicious. And knowing Neil and his wicked ways, dessert would be sinfully mind blowing. She sighed happily.

Such were the sacrifices she had to make.

Her eyes narrowed again as she watched Neil eat. She did not, however, appreciate being made to have a 'spa day'. Neil and Aphrodite had been all too gleeful when they announced what their 'training' was going to consist of.

Manicures, mud baths and seaweed wraps. Ugh.

How the hell those would help them defeat Cronus, she wasn't sure. And Atlanta was stubborn enough not to admit just how relaxing it had been. Far too girly for her tastes, at least on a regular basis. But it had been... nice. Neil an Aphrodite's inane chatter had provided a surprisingly welcome distraction from the rest of their training so far.

Aside from spending time with Artemis, they had also been shuffled off to Hercules when he had Herry and Jay, and occasionally, Odie. Which was also nice; it gave them a chance to catch up and spend time with somebody different.

None of them had trained with Theresa and Archie yet.

Neil glanced up at Atlanta as she sat back with a sigh, idly playing with her fork. He raised a questioning eyebrow at her.

"What's up?" he asked. Atlanta pursed her lips and shrugged.

"Just thinking," she muttered. Neil rolled his eyes and stood, clearing away their dirty dishes. With a small huff, he grabbed out the mini German Chocolate cake he had made for dessert and sliced into it, cutting them each a piece.

"Uh-huh. I got that. About _what_?" he prodded, walking back over to the table, cake in hand. He paused, waggling it enticingly. "You're not getting this until you tell me."

"Aw c'mon," Atlanta whined halfheartedly. Neil just held her plate above her head, eyebrow still raised. She rolled her eyes and huffed. "Fine, whatever. Sit down. Cake please."

Gladly giving over the dessert, he sat, eager for gossip.

"It's been almost two weeks that we've been stuck here, training. And we've only seen Archie and Theresa a handful of times. We've trained with everyone but them!" Atlanta took a bite of cake, savouring the mouthful. Sinfully delicious, just as she expected.

"Annnnd...?" Neil pushed.

"Well... don't you think that's, I dunno, a bit weird?" she wondered, frowning at her partner. He shrugged, picking at his cake, thinking about it. The last time they had seen the two in question, they had been leaving the gym and looked beyond exhausted. Archie's limp had been very noticeable and there was dried blood on Theresa's shirt. He shook his head.

"Honestly Atlanta, this whole situation is a bit weird. And I'm not so sure I would _want_ to train with them. Artemis and Hercules push us pretty hard, but we've never come away from it looking half dead," Neil caught her gaze, his voice serious. Thoughtful. It was enough to put Atlanta on edge.

She slumped back in her seat. He was right. It still caught her off guard, these moments where she saw another side of Neil. The serious side of him; oddly mature for all his childish quirks. And he noticed more than any of them gave him credit for.

"Yeah, but... I dunno, I guess that's why I _do_ want to train with them," she held up a hand at his incredulous gaze, stalling any comments. "It's because I'm _worried_, Neil. I wish I knew what Ares was doing with them."

Neil remained silent as they both thought about their friends, wondering what was happening to them. _Although... Ares isn't the _**_only_**_ one who's training them..._

But he wouldn't mention that thought to Atlanta. It would only worry her more. And he had found himself becoming oddly solicitous of her feelings in the last few weeks. He thought about her words, an idea forming in his mind.

"Welllll... we could always _spy_ on them," he suggested nonchalantly. Atlanta stared at him.

"Spy on them," she repeated flatly.

"Yup," he nodded agreeably.

"Spy. On the god of war. And a psychic," she stressed.

"Yeessss," he answered slowly. "Your point?"

Atlanta just glared at him, crossing her arms stubbornly.

"Look," Neil began, spreading his hands peacefully. "We're _all_ worried about them. How can they get mad at us for that? Plus, hello, _lucky_. Think of it as more training, in the art of stealth. Let's see if my luck can get us past them. It'll be a lot more fun that flinging daggers at me while I'm blindfolded and seeing if I can dodge in time."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Atlanta grinned unrepentantly at the memory. _Good times_. "But you have a valid point. Alright, let's see if the guys want to join us."

"I knew you'd see it my way," Neil winked at her, earning him an eye roll. She waved her fork at him, fighting off a smile.

"Yeah, yeah. But if we get caught, I get to say 'I told you so'."

"Well then. I guess we better not get caught."

* * *

"So, let me get this straight. You two," Jay pinched the bridge of his nose and gestured to Atlanta and Neil. "Want all of _us_, to go and _spy_ on Archie and Theresa. While they're training with _Ares_."

"Mm yup," Neil studied his nails nonchalantly.

"Pretty much," Atlanta nodded, rocking back on her heels.

The scheming partners had gone to find most of the rest of their team after dinner, locating them in the lounge the gods had set aside for them. They stood now before Jay, trying to convince him that this was good course of action for them to take. Their Leader however was being stubborn. He lowered his arm and gave them a Look.

"You know that we are _all_ a bit... concerned, with those two. But that doesn't mean we can just go and spy on them. They haven't told us what they've been doing, and maybe that's for a reason," Jay raised his voice as Atlanta opened her mouth to argue with him. "We all deserve some privacy Atlanta, and we should be able to trust one another not to invade that privacy."

"But shouldn't our concern for their well-being take precedence over that? I mean, I could respect that trust a lot more if _they_ could at least trust _us_ enough to reassure us that they're okay!" Atlanta cried, hands clenching by her sides as she stared Jay down. He frowned down at her and took a step closer, frustration seeping into his features. She felt Neil shift behind her, a sudden heat at her back telling her that he had moved closer as well. His hands landed gently on her shoulders, rubbing slightly. She snorted and rolled her eyes, but relented and leaned back into him.

"C'mon Jay. You've seen them, half the time they look like the living dead," Neil said, his tone serious and subdued. "They haven't trained with us at all. We have no idea what they're even capable of anymore. How are we supposed to function as a team when two of our members are basically missing?"

Atlanta crossed her arms and bit back a smirk. Jay couldn't very well argue against _that_ point.

Jay frowned at Neil a moment before shaking his head and turning away with a sigh. Herry and Odie exchanged a glance as Atlanta tilted her head up to look at Neil, giving him a conspiratorial grin. They all watched as Jay paced a bit, obviously thinking over their arguments and his own. He gave another rough sigh and ran a hand over his face.

"You raise a good point Neil," he conceded. "But. That doesn't mean we need to spy on them. I'll speak to Hera and see if we can't get her to convince the other gods, Ares included, that we need time to _all_ train together as a team. Okay?"

Atlanta slumped back against Neil, slightly disappointed but unable to find something wrong with this compromise. She nodded and watched as Jay crossed the room to leave. Neil gave her shoulders a squeeze and leaned down, his lips brushing against her ear.

"He's doing what he thinks is right, Lanta. But, that doesn't mean we can't do _both_," he whispered mischievously. Atlanta shivered, a chill running down her spine as his breath wafted softly over her neck. She grinned and turned, his hands releasing her.

"No. No it doesn't. Tomorrow?" she murmured, grinning up at him. He smirked back down at her and gave her a wink. Tomorrow was one of their days with Aphrodite, making it easier for them to beg off of 'training'. Atlanta turned back to the other boys and went to flop down on a cushion beside Herry.

"So, tell me the truth Herry. How worried about Theresa _is_ Jay?" she asked pointedly. Herry frowned, crossing his massive arms over his chest.

"Did you listen to a word Jay said about privacy?" he wondered. She gave him a stubborn glare. Neil slouched down beside her, stretching out to lay like a large, satisfied cat.

"Oh come on Herry, it's not like it's much of a secret that he _cares_ about her. I mean, he cares about all of us, but you've got to admit, he's always treated Theresa as a bit more special. Even when he tries not to," he tried not to frown, not wanting to deal with wrinkles. Odie snorted from Herry's other side.

"You mean _especially_ when he's trying not to," the younger boy shook his head.

"Exactly! When the gods first told us about this hare brained scheme of theirs, and he said he was worried about how this would effect us? You don't think he was more worried about _Theresa_, and how being with _Archie_ would affect her? You know he wanted to be the one partnered with her instead of Archie," Atlanta pushed on ruthlessly. Herry shook his head, frustrated.

"Yeah, okay, so it's no secret that maybe Jay likes Theresa more than he thinks he should. And alright, I'll admit, I think he's pretty worried. But he hasn't said anything to me and I also think that he's trying to put her out of his mind," Herry grumbled, stretching his legs out tiredly. "At least, her as a _girl_, you know? Not her as _Theresa_, our team mate."

"So you think he doesn't want to do anything because he sees her as a _distraction_?" Odie contemplated, ignoring the way Atlanta bristled angrily. Once again, he was glad that he wasn't paired off with anyone. Talk about distractions.

"As harsh as that sounds, it makes sense," Neil agreed, directing Atlanta's wrath away from Odie. He raised an eyebrow as she glared down at him, earning a cross huff from the girl. Neil sighed, suddenly tired. Reaching out, he tugged Atlanta down against his chest, smirking as she squawked in protest. Propping himself up on one elbow, he kept his other arm wrapped about her waist, forcing her to stay put and listen to him. "Lannie. You know that it does. Jay is trying to keep it together as the Leader of this team, and the last thing he thinks he needs is to be distracted. So while he might be worried about Theresa, he's not going to push it too far."

"I think he's letting it go too much, though," Atlanta insisted, settling herself more comfortably against her partner. Letting her head fall back against his shoulder, she met Neil's gaze, her eyes softening with concern. "He's going round in circles. Distracted by his worry about being distracted,and he won't see that maybe something is _wrong._ You were right Neil, how do we function as a team when we're only part of a whole?"

Neil then gave into his urge to frown as he absentmindedly rubbed small circles on Atlanta's stomach with his thumb. He felt her shiver against his body, heard her take a small breath as he watched a flush steal over her cheeks. She dropped his gaze, but he continued to stare at her as his thoughts moved from the rest of their team to his own partner.

Herry sighed quietly as silence stole over the four of them, surreptitiously watching his friends with a sideways gaze. Something else was going on between team members it seemed, though he doubted they even realized it themselves. And while he wouldn't admit it to the rest of them, he knew Jay had noticed the situation with Archie and Theresa. And that he was working hard to not let it effect him completely. Obviously he wouldn't let it go without doing something; he wouldn't be a very responsible Leader if he did. But he had been content to let Ares and Persephone train the two as they saw fit, so long as it didn't exhaust them enough to hamper them in actual battle. Cronus though had been suspiciously quiet as of late, and so they had not seen any battle since the time at the warehouses. That had Jay more on edge than anything happening within the team.

Neil did raise a good point though. They didn't know what exactly the gods were putting the Fighter and Warrior through, and that could make it difficult for them all to fight cohesively. Not to mention, Odie could really benefit from learning some of their techniques specifically. Jay was good with a sword, and Herry could smash his way through anything. Atlanta had her speed and Neil his inherent luck. Theresa and Archie though were best when it came to hand to hand fighting and using a variety of traditional weapons. And the last time Herry had seen them, they had been walking through the courtyard off the lounge, their movements slow and slightly stiff. Theresa had been leaning against Archie as he half supported her, her skin pale in the sunlight. He shook his head, deciding not to mention that bit of information. It would have Atlanta foaming at the mouth.

Catching the movement out of the corner of his eye, Neil tore his gaze away from Atlanta and pulled his arm from around her waist. Moving back he stretched languidly, feeling his back crack as he did. Pushing himself up, he stifled a yawn and held out a hand to Atlanta.

"It's late. We should get some sleep," he said. She grabbed his hand and let him lift her up off the cushions. Slinging an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her towards the door.

"Good night guys," Atlanta called sleepily over his shoulder. Odie shook his head.

"Night," he called, grinning at Herry as they watched the pair wander back to their rooms. He stood next, turning slightly back to Herry before leaving himself.

"You think they still have two beds?"

"They better."

* * *

Atlanta yawned as she and Neil wandered back into their rooms, slowly detaching herself from his side. He caught her arm though before she could get very far, turning her back towards him. Sliding his hand beneath her chin, he tilted her face up and watched as her sleepy eyes widened comically. Giving her a flirty smirk, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Moving to pull away, he stopped as Atlanta grabbed his shirt, holding him close.

"Neil? What-?" she murmured, keeping her eyes on his chest as she flushed uncomfortably. Her stomach dropped and her heart pounded as they stood together, half way through the bedroom door. She shuddered as his hand slid over her cheek to tangle in her hair, pulling her in for a hug.

"I don't know what's happening with our friends. And I don't know what's going to happen to any of us when Cronus finally decides to show his ugly face again. But, I just wanted you to know that... I'm glad we've had this time together," Neil whispered. He smiled self-deprecatingly as he wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her tight. "It's nice. Having friends. Real friends I mean."

"Oh Neil," Atlanta sighed and sank into him, rubbing her cheek against his chest. As annoying as he sometimes was, she had often wondered if he wasn't a little bit lonely. Giving him a tight squeeze around the waist, she propped her chin against his chest to look up at him. "I'm glad we're friends, too. And to think, we have Cronus to thank for that!"

Neil snorted and released her, moving into the bedroom. She stretched and followed after, a smile on her face.

"Yeah well, don't expect me to rush up to him and give him a big hug to show my gratitude."

"Why not? It might just surprise him enough to let us get him. Think about it Neil. You could save the world with one hug."

"Atlanta?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

* * *

**A/N:** I know it's been awhile guys. And I'm reeealllly sorry about that that. *hangs head in shame* I have no excuses. All I can do is offer up this paltry, meager chapter and hope that it appeases some of you. I hope it does, because I managed to crank out this chapter in just a couple of hours yesterday, while I keep on falling hopelessly behind on my NaNo novel. *sigh* Life just ain't fair sometimes. Well my beautiful readers, leave me a review and tell me what you think. Gently though, gently. 3


	13. Chapter the Thirteenth

**Chapter the Thirteenth**

"Shh!"

"You 'shh'. Your shushing is making more noise than me."

"Well you're breathing too loud. Nervous?"

"...Maybe a little. You're telling me you aren't?... Never mind, forgot who I was talking to."

"I'm telling you, we'll be fine. Besides, even if we _do_ get caught, which is highly unlikely, how mad can they get? We're their friends, we're supposed to worry about them."

"It's not really _them_ that I'm worried about offending."

"...Ares is kinda scary, huh?"

"Ya think?"

"Doesn't matter. Trust me, I'm the lucky one."

"Somehow that doesn't comfort me."

Neil glared down at Atlanta a moment as they skulked towards the gym where they knew Archie and Theresa were training with Ares. They had already scoped out Persephone's solarium, but the goddess had been alone there. So now they had to sneak in on Ares and their friends and hide themselves well enough to spy on them. They had decided not to invite Herry or Odie along on their adventure, and they knew Jay would pitch a fit if he knew what they were up to. But they couldn't wait any longer.

Atlanta nodded towards the side door that would lead to the balcony level surrounding the gym floor. Neil reached over, opening it silently. They paused a moment, making sure the staircase was empty before entering it, climbing slowly upward, taking great care not to make any noise on the stairs. Atlanta let Neil take the lead, hoping his luck would continue to hold out. She poked him gently in the back.

"Remember to _concentrate_," she whispered softly. He waved an impatient hand at her. Through their training with Artemis, and some tips from Persephone, they had found that the more Neil concentrated on a certain outcome in a given situation, the more likely it was that his luck would prevail and present him with the desired outcome. His inherent luck would warp the situation to his needs, and they were working on how he could expand that to include his team mates in his 'lucky bubble'. Today would be a good test of that, if he could keep himself and Atlanta from being detected, _and_ if they got to see exactly what Ares was putting Archie and Theresa through.

Neil made a mental note to remember that as a point in their favour if they did get caught and Jay found out that they went against his orders. He held back a wince. Really, he did hate going against Jay, if only because it affected his Leaders morale and confidence in being respectfully followed by his team. The last thing they needed was a Jay who didn't have enough confidence in himself or his team. That, more than anything, could lead to their downfall. So, he tried not to do it too often. But sometimes, such as in this case, the boy was just too damn stubborn for Neil's liking.

They reached the balcony and Neil peeked around the corner. He could see Ares off to the side from this vantage point, and though he couldn't see them, he could hear Archie and Theresa. It sounded like they were already training, and had been for awhile, if their harsh breathing was anything to go by. Grabbing Atlanta's hand, he knelt and tugged her swiftly to a column they could hide behind. Taking a steadying breath, he peeked out again. Ares hadn't moved. Good.

Atlanta settled against Neil's back, peering over his shoulder for a glimpse of their friends. Her hands squeezed his shoulders as she saw them in the middle of the room, fighting hand to hand. She frowned at the sight of them though. Sweat poured off their bodies, their clothing completely soaked. Their breathing was harsh and their movements a little choppy. It looked like they had been in here for hours already. Atlanta and Neil had only risen an hour ago, and she had thought that was early enough! Theresa and Archie must have risen and started training before dawn. She winced as Theresa tossed Archie down onto the mats, the boy landing with a loud thud.

Archie groaned as he lay on the mats, unable to make himself get up again. His body was screaming in agony at the brutal pace Ares had been setting for them. He could barely hear Theresa gasping for air over his own wheezing, a prayer for a swift death forming in his mind. At this rate, he would gladly let Cronus kill him, if only to get this misery over with.

"Enough. Take a break you two," Ares voice cut through Archie's morbid thoughts. He groaned in relief and blearily opened his eyes. Theresa huffed as she moved closer to him, holding out a hand to help him up. Archie snorted and grabbed her hand, pulling her down to the mats instead. She landed in a flop against him, her head resting on his chest. She wrinkled her nose half heartedly.

"Ugh, you're all sweaty," she moaned. Archie closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on breathing properly.

"Uh-huh. You like it," he teased, a ghost of a grin floating across his features as Theresa scoffed softly. She didn't move though; couldn't really. Her limbs felt like jello and uncooperative in the extreme. "Terri?"

"Hn?" she grunted.

"Thirsty. Water's too far," Archie whined. Theresa rolled her eyes, but tilted her head, scanning the room for their water bottles. They sat across the gym by the bleachers. She grimaced and narrowed her eyes at them, moving slightly to hold out a beckoning hand. A bit unsteadily, they rose into the air and slowly floated towards them. Her arm trembled form the effort, but she was far too thirsty as well. Frowning, she made a impatient motion with her hand.

"Damn it, _come here,_" she insisted, yelping as the bottles suddenly came flying toward them. Dropping her hand, the bottles dropped a foot away from them, tipping and landing on their sides. Archie grinned down at her as he grabbed at them.

"You're getting better at that," he noted, not bothering to sit up in order to guzzle down his water. Theresa rolled her eyes and propped herself up against him to drink.

"If you drown yourself, I won't save you," she warned him. Not that she expected him to listen to her, or that he would actually drown himself, but some days you just never know. Theresa sighed as she rolled her shoulders, her muscles tight and uncomfortable. She frowned as her spine tingled slightly, the hair at the nape of her neck stnading on end. It almost felt like... they were being watched. She glanced around, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Ares was toward the other end of the gym, his back to them as he set up some targets. She shook her head, wary of becoming overly paranoid.

Setting her water to the side, she flopped back down on Archie, ignoring his grumblings as she closed her eyes to rest. Ares wouldn't let them rest all that long, so it was best to take advantage of the lull while it lasted. Archie reached up, letting one of his hands land on her back, fingers rubbing at her shoulders. Theresa moaned tiredly, snuggling further into him as he worked at her muscles. A soak in the hot springs was definitely in order when they were down. Maybe even some food, if they weren't too tired to eat. She seriously doubted it though, even though her stomach was already rumbling painfully in protest.

"Alright you two, get up!"

Theresa startled awake as Ares bellowed at them, her hands clenching in Archie's shirt as he squeezed her tightly. Blinking rapidly they slowly sat up, rubbing their eyes from their short impromptu nap.

"Theresa, Persephone wanted me to run you through more target practice. Archie I want you on the weights."

Archie frowned as they stood, a tired sigh escaping from Theresa. He shook his head and scowled over at Ares.

"She's too tired for that, and you know it Ares," he spat. Up in the galley, Neil and Atlanta exchanged a confused look as Theresa tugged at Archie's arm.

"Archie..."

"No, Theresa, look at you. You're beyond exhausted, they can't expect you to do that in this condition," Archie growled, frustrated and angry at Persephone and Ares for what they were putting Theresa through.

"That's exactly why she needs to practice boy. You think Cronus is going to stop and let you take a break? Wait until you're completely rested before attacking? Wrong! He'll wait for a moment like this, when you're weak and vulnerable," Ares strode over to them, his face turning red as he yelled at them. "She needs to be able to defend you when that happens. It could mean the difference between life and death."

"You pushing her now could mean death!" Archie yelled back, stepping forward to glare fiercely at his mentor. Ares frowned down at him, crossing his arms menacingly.

"Maybe it will. I'm willing to take that risk. Or do you think she's that weak, boy?" he smirked down at the boy, noting how he vibrated with anger. Theresa glared up at Ares then, putting her hand on Archie's shoulder in hopes of calming him somewhat.

"Don't even, Ares. Archie, calm down. I've had enough of you two baiting each other," she sighed tiredly then, resting her forehead against Archie for a moment. Straightening up, she moved away from them, towards the targets that Ares had set up. Ignoring the scowl she knew was forming on Archie's face, and the matching smirk on Ares', she stopped a good distance away and took a few deep breaths.

Atlanta frowned as she and Neil watched, completely confused about what was happening and unhappy that it might somehow involve harm coming to Theresa. They had wondered what Ares was doing to them, but now it sounded like he and Persephone were double teaming the teens, apparently to Theresa's detriment. They exchanged a worried look as Theresa stalked across the gym, wondering if they should let Jay know what they had done after all. Neil gave Atlanta a tiny frown and shrugged slightly as she bit her lip, unsure of what to do. He turned back towards the gym floor, needing more information on the situation first.

They watched as Theresa closed her eyes, standing stock still in front of the targets. Barely breathing, they watched silently as she stood there, waiting for something to happen. Minutes ticked by, and Atlanta fought the urge to fidget. Archie was still standing beside Ares, a fierce scowl across his face as they too watched Theresa.

A flicker of light tore her eyes away from them. She glanced back at Theresa, scanning her for movement, though nothing seemed-

There! Again!

That same strange blue energy was swirling around Theresa now, looking less like lightning and more like flames now, as it writhed around her body. Flowing and whirling, it seemed to grow as it tried to encompass her form, winding its way up her legs and across her arms. A light breeze seemed to move her hair, though Neil and Atlanta felt nothing up on the balcony. They watched as she brought her arms up in front of her body, hands making a cupping motion, one over top of the other.

Theresa furrowed her brow as she concentrated, her breathing coming harder now at the toll the energy was taking on her body. It was easier to summon now, under any circumstance, but it was still difficult to hold onto. Even more difficult to use it and direct it in any way other than a wild discharge. Gathering it together in a ball, she narrowly opened her eyes and picked a target. Lifting her arms, she fired the energy toward it, satisfied as it hit its intended target with a loud crack. Panting harshly now, she sucked in a breath and took aim again.

Atlanta and Neil watched, wide eyed as she fired off the shots of energy, decimating the targets that stood in front of her. This was way more than just basic training. And why hadn't they been told anything? This was the kind of information that might be useful the next time Cronus made an appearance. Neil scowled. Jay might not have wanted them spying, but he was damn sure going to want to know about this. And about why it had been kept from him.

_If it was kept from him. Maybe he does know, and that's why he didn't want us checking up on them by ourselves. But why keep this secret from us?_

Atlanta jumped as Archie raised his voice suddenly.

"Enough Theresa! You're too worn out for this," he called to his partner, knowing that she would be extremely ill after this. He could see it in the way her body was beginning to contort, the way she was wheezing for breath. Closing her eyes, she let her arms fall and the energy dissipate. The cramps were swiftly taking over her body, forcing her to her knees. Whimpering, she wrapped her arms around her stomach even as she started coughing, a bone jarring hack that echoed throughout the room.

"Theresa!"

Neil cursed softly as Atlanta bolted down the stairs, blowing their cover. Standing up to go after her, he noted with some alarm that there was a small puddle of blood forming in front of Theresa. Archie blinked in confusion as Atlanta suddenly appeared at his side, Neil coming quickly down the stairs after her. Shaking his head, he turned back to Theresa, coaxing her back into his arms so he could pick her up and bring her to Chiron. Wincing as she cried out in pain, he lifted her as gently as he could.

"Is she okay? What's wrong with her Archie?" To say Atlanta was worried was an understatement. She felt slightly frantic at the sight of her friend, sickly pale and obviously in tremendous pain.

"You two! Just what in Tartarus do you think you're doing in here?" Ares bellowed at them. Archie shook his head and headed out of the gym, Atlanta close at his heels. Neil shrugged at Ares and scampered after them, not wanting to be left behind with the angry god of war.

"Sorry Ares, just training!" he called over his shoulder. Catching up with the others, he pulled Atlanta back slightly. "Easy there Lannie, let the man walk."

"Actually, Atlanta, can you run ahead to Chiron and let him know I'm bringing Theresa?" Archie asked steadily, trying to stay calm even as Theresa wheezed and coughed up more blood. The words were no sooner out of his mouth than he felt the air blow around him, signalling Atlanta's departure. Neil trotted at his side, hating how helpless he felt. He winced at the sound of Theresa's wet, ragged cries, at the sight of the blood covering her chin and shirt.

"Archie?" he ventured dumbly, shock numbing his body.

"Not now Neil," Archie shook his head as they rounded the corner, spotting the door to Chiron's study just up ahead. Racing into the room, he was relieved to see a bed already set up and Chiron himself awaiting them. The centaur gestured for him to put her down, immediately taking out his instruments to look her over.

"She pushed too hard again, didn't she," Chiron frowned, cursing Ares in his mind. Archie scoffed from her other side where he stroked her hair soothingly, giving her hand a gently squeeze.

"Doesn't she always? Shh, it's gonna be okay Theresa. Chiron's here," he murmured to her, hoping to calm her down as the centaur worked to ease her pain and fix the damage she had inflicted on her body. Atlanta bit down hard on her lip as she watched them, her eyes stinging. Blinking rapidly, she took a shaky breath as Neil slipped his arm around her, steadying the both of them.

"Chiron? Is there any way we can help?" he asked for them. Hopelessness settled in further as the centaur shook his head gently, sparing them a sympathetic glance.

"I'm afraid not. Why don't you two wait outside. I'll let you know when we're done," he assured them. Neil nodded in defeat and tugged a catatonic Atlanta back out the door. Archie didn't even twitch as they left, completely focused on his partner. Taking a breath as he shut the door behind them, Neil released Atlanta and stumbled over to the opposite wall, sliding down to sit in a heap on the floor. Atlanta rested against the door, her gaze dazed and far off. He gestured toward her.

"Lanta. Come here," he commanded gently, watching as she pushed herself away from the door and woodenly moved to sit next to him. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close and pressed a kiss against her hair. Huddled together, they sat and waited for Chiron, a shroud of confusion and worry settling over them like a heavy blanket. Atlanta trembled from the adrenaline coursing through her body, wanting to do something, but unable to move. Pressing tighter against Neil, she wound her arms around him and buried her face into his neck.

All they could do was wait, and hope for answers.

* * *

An hour later Chiron sighed as he wiped his hands on a rag. Looking down at Theresa, pale and worn, he shook his head. The gods asked too much of these mortal children sometimes, all in the name of themselves. He also failed to see how breaking the prophecy at their own hands by killing one of the Seven would be of any help in this war. For surely that was the only way this could end.

Moving to gather a small green bottle, he turned back to Archie and held it out.

"I want you to let her rest, but try to wake her every four hours and give her a spoonful of this. It will help with both the pain and to heal her further," he instructed the boy. Making sure he understood, Chiron went to open to the door, unsurprised to find Neil and Atlanta slumped on the floor. They looked up at him, eyes wide and hopeful. He sighed again at the innocence he found in that moment and tried to give them a reassuring smile.

"Come. She will be fine, with some rest," he told them. They sighed in relief, scrambling to stand on shaky, tingling legs. Cautiously, they moved into the room, slightly apprehensive at what they would find within.

Archie glanced up as they entered, giving them a wan smile. They went to his side, gazing down at Theresa as she slept. Atlanta rested a hand on Archie's shoulder, noticing how he trembled slightly. He was exhausted. Roughly rubbing a hand over his face, Archie stood wearily and moved to pick Theresa up.

"I know you guys want answers. Just let me get her home, okay? She needs to rest," he sighed. Stopping at the hand on his other shoulder, he frowned at Neil.

"Let me," Neil said, going around the bedside to gather up Theresa. Archie shook his head, bemused.

"Neil, she's covered in sweat and blood. You're going to carry her?" he let out a mirthless laugh. Neil closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I know," he said, voice strained. He opened his eyes and bent down, gathering the redhead close to his chest in order to not jostle her as he stood. "But, you're completely exhausted Archie. I doubt you could carry a mouse right now. Just, open the doors for me, 'kay?"

Too tired to argue, Archie just watched in abstract amusement as Neil picked Theresa up gently, managing not to grimace at how filthy she was. He shook his head, feeling like he had missed something along the way, but led them out of Chiron's study regardless. Atlanta stayed by his side as they walked, eyeing him like a hawk as she watched for any sign of imminent collapse. The hallways twisted and turned as they made their way to the vine covered door beside Persephone's solarium. Archie glared at Persephone's door before opening his own, angry at the goddess and the world in general. Moving through the living room, he stalked through the bedroom towards the bathroom, intent on getting Theresa clean and comfortable.

Neil let out an appreciative whistle as he followed Archie through the bedroom. Atlanta gave him a strange look and he nodded towards the bed.

"You guys weren't kidding when you said the whole team could fit in your bed. It's the biggest I've ever seen," he commented. He heard Archie snort softly and mumble under his breath. It sounded suspiciously like 'that's what he said'. Neil frowned and rolled his eyes as they walked further into the room, passing into the bathroom. His jaw dropped. "And you have a hot spring? Dude!"

"Yeah, yeah. Focus Neil. Bring Theresa over here, and set her down on the bench, okay?" Archie gestured impatiently, fetching a large towel. Neil did as he was told, freezing as Theresa groaned slightly when he set her down. Immediately Atlanta and Archie were at his side, Archie pushing them away slightly as he cupped Theresa's face in his hands. "Theresa? You wanna wake up a little for me princess?"

Atlanta held her breath as she watched the other girl's eyes flutter before opening the tiniest bit, making a small whimpering noise as she did. Archie gave her a soft smile and stroked her cheek as Neil kept her propped up.

"Hey. There's my girl. Need to get you cleaned up, kay?" Archie said softly. He took the small noise she made for assent and moved to take her from Neil. "Thanks man. I got her. Atlanta, gimme a hand? I need to get her into the hot springs."

"O-okay," she stuttered, unsure of what exactly Archie wanted her to do. He gave her a small smirk as he leaned back, Theresa securely in his arms.

"Help me get her clothes off. Neil, could you wait out in the living room?" Atlanta noticed Archie didn't look altogether uncomfortable with the idea of undressing his partner. Neil just nodded and left the room, muttering something about tea. Atlanta smiled faintly, knowing there would be a fresh pot waiting for them when they were done in here. Turning back to her friends, she took a breath and set to getting Theresa out of her dirty clothes and wrapped up in the towel Archie held.

It was a slightly awkward process, and Archie was glad to have help this time. He had had to do this twice on his own already, though the first time had been at Theresa's insistence. She had been conscious that time, but extremely groggy and uncoordinated. This time, as with last, she was drifting between awake and asleep, and was no help. Sighing as he averted his eyes so Atlanta could strip off Theresa's undergarments, he closed his eyes briefly, wondering just how many more times they would have to go through this. He felt Atlanta grab the towel from his hand and lay it modestly around Theresa. Opening his eyes, he shifted to wrap it tighter around her body, securing it snugly in a knot.

"Thanks Atlanta. I really appreciate it," he muttered gratefully, catching the younger girl's eye. She paused, giving him a wobbly grin. He reached out to ruffle her hair slightly. "I can take it from here. We're just gonna soak in the spring for a few minutes. Why don't you go join Neil?"

"Sure. Just give a shout if you need me," she whispered. Watching her go, Archie heaved another sigh and gingerly laid Theresa down so he too could strip out of his clothes and into a towel. Wrapping it tight about his waist, he gently picked her up, relieved when she made another small noise.

"S'ok princess, I got ya," he whispered as he lowered them down into the hot spring, settling her on his lap. He knew the soothing heat of the water would help her tense muscles relax, helping to prevent any further cramping while she slept. Rubbing at her shoulders and arms, he gazed at her face, stomach twisting at the lingering pain he found there. Reaching up to stroke her cheek again, he pressed a kiss to her thin cheek. Nuzzling against her, he held her close and tightly shut his eyes.

"You need to stop scaring me like this," he whispered mournfully, throat closing as he choked back all the anger and fear and every other emotion that threatened to spill forth. Letting out a yawn, he sank further into the steaming water, momentarily thankful simply that she was alive and in his arms.

* * *

Neil and Atlanta were sitting on the couch, talking quietly when Archie emerged from the bedroom a half hour later. Closing the door half way behind him, he tiredly walked over to join them. A smile flitted across his lips as Neil poured him a cup of what smelled like chamomile tea. Clearly, Theresa and Persephone had been shoving too much tea down his throat if he was starting to recognize the different scents of them. Gratefully accepting it nonetheless, he let out a jaw cracking yawn as he fell into a chair. Sipping at it, he glanced over at his two friends, already weary of the conversation that they would have. A thought occurred to him and he set down the cup.

"Before I say anything, can I just ask: what were you guys doing in the gym anyways?" he wondered. Neil and Atlanta flushed and shared a guilty look. Atlanta squirmed a bit on the couch, fidgeting with the cup in her hands.

"We were worried about the two of you. It's been two weeks, and we haven't trained with you at all. We just wanted to make sure you were okay," Atlanta mumbled.

"So, we decided we should maybe, ya know, spy on you guys and find out what was going on. Really, it was all my idea," Neil added. His eyes widened slightly. "Please don't tell Jay."

"I was about to ask the same thing," Archie snorted. He shook his head. "Jay doesn't know about... that... and I'm sure if he knew, he'd flip out."

"Yeah, he didn't want us spying on you either. Said he'd speak to Hera about team training time," Atlanta nodded. She bit her lip, and glanced through the bedroom door, where she could see Theresa laying peacefully on the bed. "So... Is Theresa going to be okay? What happened to her?"

"She'll be fine. For now. Until she does it again," Archie scowled down into his teacup, frustrated at the aimless hatred he felt boiling underneath his skin. He let out a harsh breath and settled deeper into the chair, swirling his tea. He refused to meet their gazes as he explained the situation to them.

"We all knew, right from the start, that Theresa is a psychic. It started out just as clairvoyance and slowly grew into telekinesis and a bit of telepathy, as far as dumb creatures were concerned. But now, it's morphing into something else. She's been having dreams, ominous ones. I don't know if they're prophetic or not; Persephone seems to think that since we've already seen what happens in them, we can try to avoid it, or warp it to our satisfaction. And, like you saw earlier, Theresa can now physically manifest that latent psychic energy that she uses when she has a vision. The gods seem to think this could be a great weapon, a way to ensure Cronus' defeat.

But what none of them seem to want to admit, aside from Chiron and Persephone, is that it's killing her. Every time she uses more and more energy, and her body takes the brunt of it. Her mortal body, that wasn't built to house this kind of power in the first place. But we're the children of the gods, right, the great heroes! We should be able to handle anything that's thrown at us."

Archie couldn't take it anymore and stood up to pace, restless anger filling him. He felt caged and helpless.

"They told us we had to take care of each other. How the hell am I supposed to do that when they seem so fucking bent on destroying her? I shouldn't have to protect her from the gods; they're the ones that brought us here in the first place! They're the ones that need _us,_not the other way around!"

Neil and Atlanta watched helplessly as he paced and ranted. It felt like the rug had been pulled from beneath their feet; this war was suddenly all too real, and harrowing, in a way it hadn't been before. Before, they were just the Heroes; the Chosen Ones, who would defeat the evil god and save the world. Now, they were beginning to realize just how futile it all seemed. Laughable almost. Seven teenagers? Against an ancient god who had once ruled the world? They had held their own so far, but after their last encounter with Cronus, they couldn't help but wonder if maybe the god had been holding back somewhat.

Neil gazed down at the floor, wondering if it wasn't just blind luck that had gotten them all this far. It certainly felt like it, in this moment. And Theresa. What was going to happen to her? What happened if the gods did push too far, and she died? He shuddered, not wanting to even think about, a wave of superstitious paranoia running through his body. Instead, he concentrated on imagining her whole and healthy again. If his luck was good for anything, he hoped he could at least help his friends. He tiredly ran a hand through his hair.

"I wish Cronus would just show up again, so we could force a confrontation with him and get this over with already," he muttered dejectedly. "Two years of our lives wasted already. Live or die, either way I'm tired of waiting."

"Neil!" Atlanta gaped at her partner, never having seen him depressed in all the two years that they had known each other. "Don't talk like that. You're far too pretty to be so damn fatalistic."

They shared a weak grin as Archie snorted, hoping to force a bit of normalcy back into this conversation. They glanced over at the man still pacing restlessly in front of them. Neil shook his head and stood, tugging Atlanta up with him.

"Pretty or not, doesn't make all this any easier. Look Arch, we won't say a word to Jay. He's worried enough already," Neil shook his head. Giving his friend a critical look, he let a cocky grin cross his face. "Go get some rest. You look like shit."

Archie gave him a sour look and flipped him off as Atlanta rolled her eyes and shoved Neil toward the door.

"Geez Neil, you're just a regular sweetheart, aren't ya?" she scoffed. Twisting to look back at her friend, she gave him a small smile. "Get some rest dork. If you need anything, you know where to find us. Just follow the sound of Neil's girlish screams."

Archie finally laughed as he watched her shove the blond out the door, listening to them carping at each other as they moved down the hall, back towards their own rooms. Letting out another giant yawn, he stretched and shuffled back into the bedroom where Theresa lay soundly sleeping. Clambering over the giant bed, he made his way to her side and settled down underneath the blankets. Tugging her gently against his side, he lay down and wondered again how they could possibly make it through the rest of this war alive. Brushing an errant curl away from her cheek, he held her close and prayed that they would make it out alive.

That he wouldn't lose her.

Closing his eyes he let himself finally drift off to sleep for a little while.

* * *

Jay frowned and tried to hold back the worry rising within him as he left Hera's chambers. She had refused to allow them more time together as a team, stating that the gods had a certain method of training that they were each employing and that it could not be thrown off balance. He snorted and stalked down the empty halls toward his and Herry's rooms.

_Bullshit. Something's going on that they don't want us knowing about,and they're deliberately keeping us away from Archie and Theresa. The rest of us have trained together without it being a problem, but mention that we want to see those two and suddenly it's all suspicious looks and reprimands. As though we were children and not their damn saviours. No matter; I'll get to the bottom of this one way or another._

He paused as the corridor branched off; one direction leading him to his rooms, the other to Archie and Theresa's. Shaking his head after a moment, he continued on homeward. They likely weren't there anyways, and he had no desire to confront Ares after the stern rebuke he had gotten from Hera. He could wait for a better time. And then he would get answers, one way or another.

The gods might have recruited them, given them a home and purpose. But this was _his_ team.

And he would be damned if he let anything happen to them.

* * *

**A/N:** Holy, look at me! I'm on a roll, eh guys? **iheartyou07**, I hope there was enough Archie/Theresa in this chapter for you! And look, I listened to you and updated before the new year! Haha, well I hope you guys like this chapter, and thank you for all the wonderful reviews! I love checking my email and having a bunch of review alerts in my inbox!


	14. Chapter the Fourteenth

**Chapter the Fourteenth**

Theresa sighed sleepily as she slowly moved her arms through the warm waters of the hot spring. She had spent the last few days drifting in a haze, uneasily crossing between sleeping and wakefulness as Archie watched over her. She closed her eyes and let her head fall back, a tiny smile flitting across her lips. He had plopped her down into the spring and told her to stay put while he went to make her some tea; his tone implied that she shouldn't contradict his orders. She knew he was worried, even though he tried to hide it behind a gruff, impatient sort of coddling.

And she had given him cause to worry. In fact, she was surprised that he had yet to really tear into her, aside from a mild scolding about overdoing things. He was right, she had overdone it. She could appreciate Ares' reasoning: they wouldn't always be rested and fit when an attack came, and she should be able to respond. But, what the gods sometimes (mostly) forgot to take into account was the fact that they were all human. And they had limits. Theresa knew she was pushing too far past those limits each time it was asked of her, and she knew that Archie hated it.

But would he be so very angry if he knew the only reason she pushed so hard was to be able to ensure his safety? And the safety of their team. They were her best friends, the closest thing to family she had had in years. She loved her father, but the older and more involved in this war she got, the more distant he became until she felt like he was almost a stranger. She supposed it was safer for him, but that didn't stop the hurt.

Her melancholy thoughts were interrupted as Archie came back with her tea. Blearily opening her eyes, she smiled up at him as he lowered himself into the water beside her, setting the tea tray down behind them. Handing her a cup, he eyed her carefully. She playfully rolled her eyes at him, earning a halfway derisive snort. Giggling, she sipped at her tea carefully, enjoying the way the heat of it mingled with the heat of the water. Her toes curled in delight and she closed her eyes once more, shifting slightly to lean against Archie.

Looking down at her, Archie held back a sigh and moved to wrap his arm around her. Tugging her against his side, he held her snugly lest she fall back to sleep and slip into the water. Water, after all, was not to be trusted in his book. It was right up there with Cronus and teen pop idols. Taking a sip of tea, Archie let his chin rest against Theresa's hair, absentmindedly stroking his thumb against her arm.

"So. We gonna talk about this?" he murmured. He felt her pause before relaxing further against him.

"What's there to talk about? I pushed too far. You're angry," Theresa shrugged gently. She clumsily reached out to set her cup aside, grateful when Archie took it from her grasp. She sluggishly turned and slipped her arms about his waist, snuggling into him. He raised an eyebrow as he gazed down at her. Leaning back slightly, he cupped her chin and tilted her head back to look at him.

"That's it? I'm _angry_?" he scowled down at her. "I'm a helluva lot more than _angry _at you Theresa. I'm angry, and worried, and terrified that one of these days you'll go too far and nothing Chiron does will save you. It's getting worse every time this happens. This time it was blood in your lungs and a ruptured spleen. But next time? Who knows."

Theresa sighed wearily as she let her gaze fall away from his. He was right of course, but what could she do? They were in too deep to stop this all now. She closed her eyes as his hand brushed against her cheek, slipping back to nestle in her hair. He tugged her forward to rest his forehead against hers, softly rubbing their noses together. He caught a faint smile on her lips, making him sigh. She shivered as his breath wafted over her, a small noise vibrating in her throat. He swallowed hard.

"I just don't want to lose you," he muttered roughly. Her eyes darted up to meet his gaze as her throat tightened, her lips trembling.

"I know. I don't want to lose you either," she whispered, leaning into the palm of his hand, his thumb stroking her cheek. Her brows pinched together worriedly, eyes soft. "Archie..."

Her eyes fell closed as he leaned forward to close the gap between them, his lips pressing gently against hers as his arm slipped more snugly about her waist. Lips parting, she sighed into him as their breath mingled, tongues meeting tentatively. Slipping her hand up his chest, she wrapped her arm around his neck, pulling herself closer to him as she felt her toes curl tightly.

And immediately wrenched herself away from him as pain shot up her calf.

"Ah! Damn it!" she cried, reaching down to rub out her cramp seized leg. Her body had mostly recovered from her latest bout of self-inflicted torture, but she still had occasional muscle spasms and cramping. She cursed the bad timing of it.

Archie sighed and reached down, batting her hand away.

"Here, let me," he rumbled, his voice husky and low. Theresa shivered as he began rubbing her leg, his face still tantalizingly close to hers. Biting her lip, she let her head fall to rest on his shoulder, raising her hand up play with the hair plastered against his neck. It was getting long.

"Sorry," she murmured softly. He shook his head and dug his fingers into her calf.

"Don't worry about it. Not like you're going anywhere, now are you?" he gave her a sly grin. He was rewarded with a soft laugh, and bent to press a kiss to her cheek.

"So. We gonna talk about this?" Theresa grinned, her eyes twinkling mischievously. Archie smirked down at her.

"What's there to talk about? I'm a good looking guy. You're a gorgeous woman. Clearly this was meant to happen," he winked at her. She laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Okay there, _Neil_," she scoffed. He pulled back, hand resting lightly on her leg, to give her a look of horror.

"Bite your tongue," he exclaimed. Theresa gave him a smirk of her own, digging her fingertips through his hair. She pulled his head down, brushing her lips against his.

"I'd rather bite yours," she murmured. Archie's eyebrows shot up, slightly surprised and definitely intrigued by her forwardness. Giving her lips a small nip, he let his hand slide up the length of her leg.

"Well alright then," he muttered and got back to the serious business of kissing the sense out of Theresa. She hummed in appreciation of his efforts and wrapped her arms tighter about him.

It was some time later when they finally left the hot springs, mostly owing to Theresa's leg cramping up once more and Archie complaining of his skin pruning. Theresa smiled as she changed into her nightgown. She would have to remember that kissing was a very good distraction when it came to keeping Archie immersed in a body of water. Though she supposed the principle could be applied to most situations, barring any that were life or death of course. She snorted, imagining them fighting Cronus and pausing to dramatically share an embrace. A giggle swiftly turned into a chuckle, and before long she was doubled over helplessly, unable to fight back the giddy laughter. Idly, she wondered if she wasn't more than a little exhausted, if this was causing her to laugh to the point of tears.

"You alright over there?" Archie called, a bemused look on his face. Theresa was still behind her changing screen, and all he could hear was her hysterical giggling. Wandering over to her side of the room, he tapped on the screen. "Are you decent?"

This earned him another snort of laughter and he peeked around the edge of the screen. Theresa was sat on the edge of her vanity stool, doubled over and shaking with laughter. Her hair tumbled around her, obscuring his view of her as it trailed along the floor, her head resting against her knees. Luckily though he could see the strap her nightgown peeking through the clouds of hair. Shaking his head, he moved around the screen to lean against her armoire. Watching her, he fought a laugh of his own, wondering if she knew how adorable she looked in that moment.

"Archie...it...you," she wheezed, finally lifting her head. Taking one look at his face set her off again though, and she waved her hand at him. She didn't want him to think she was laughing at him, but she just couldn't stop. Rolling his eyes, Archie stepped forward and reached down to tug her up onto her feet. Stumbling into him, her limbs feeling like jelly, she shook her head helplessly. With a put upon sigh, he reached down and swung her up into his arms.

"Come on then, you. Clearly, you're beyond exhausted. Bed time," he stated as he carried her to their bed. Her giggles slowed as he plopped her down on the mattress, and she gasped for breath. Settling down beside her, he tucked them both under the blankets and clapped his hands, plunging them into darkness. Laying there, Archie listened as Theresa calmed herself, moments of silence punctuated by random giggles and snorts. Rolling over, he reached out, groping around until his hand brushed against hers. Sliding closer to her, he wrapped an arm around her waist and dragged her against his body, spooning behind her.

Theresa fought to control herself, breathing slowly through her nose in an attempt to stop laughing. Her stomach and face were burning with pain, but she still couldn't keep the giant grin off her face. Letting out an exaggerated sigh, she wiggled back against Archie's chest and tangled her fingers with his. She felt him nuzzle the nape of her neck as he squeezed her gently, earning him a different type of giggle. He smiled and did it again, enjoying the way she squirmed against him.

"Mmm, Archie?" she yawned softly.

"Yeah?" he whispered, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. Tilting her head back, she bumped her nose on his.

"Thank you. For taking care of me," her voice was slurred with sleep now, eyes falling heavily shut. Archie smiled softly and kissed her once more, savouring the petal softness of her lips.

"I'll always take care of you," he whispered, listening as her breathing evened out and deepened as she fell asleep in his arms.

It was strange, this turn of events between them, but Archie couldn't help but feel that it wasn't completely unexpected either. Rather, it felt calming and comfortable, like finding shelter amidst a raging storm. And how else could he think of this war that had overtaken their lives for the past two years, but as a storm that had swept them up and carried them into something far greater than just themselves? He had started this journey believing his purpose to be what the prophecy had decreed. That he would be one of the Seven that would defeat Cronus and send him back to Tartarus. Now though...

Now he wondered if his purpose wasn't more directly tied to Theresa herself. Ever since their dreams had begun, he had felt as though it were his purpose to protect her. Like he was the only one who could, and that that was far more important than battling Cronus ever could be. He had vowed to keep her safe, and he would see that through to the bitter end, if that's what it took. He held her tighter as sleep started to fog his thoughts. Only time would tell what would become of them; what the Fates decided on. And even though they had been chosen to fulfil the prophecy, even Archie knew that nobody outran the Fates.

Not even the gods themselves.

Drifting down into sleep, Archie could not shake the remembrance of a dream, Theresa's eyes despairing as they pleaded with him. But he couldn't understand why...

* * *

Archie sighed and shifted on his cushion the next morning in Persephone's solarium. Peeking one eye open, he glanced over at Theresa. Her features were calm and smooth; serene, with only a hint of lingering weariness brought about by her latest injuries. She had been right, that night, when she claimed meditation wasn't that easy. He had never thought it would be so difficult to just stop thinking. And while he had made great progress, he was nowhere near her level. Persephone said it would take time and effort, and that he needed to concentrate. So far he had met with marginal success.

He glanced over at his partner again, wondering how she could be so calm. They had shared another dream last night, and while this one had not been as ominous as previous ones, there was still a sense of foreboding. Archie shivered in remembrance. He had fallen asleep thinking of one dream and had quickly drifted into yet another that featured Theresa being afraid. It had been blurry as well, not as clear and vivid as he was used to. He thought they had been fighting Cronus, but Theresa was watching him instead of the god. She had been saying something, but he wasn't sure what. And then everything had exploded in a shower of blue light.

They had woken, breathless and tangled up in one another. Theresa's body trembled as she held him desperately, gasping as tears rolled down her cheeks, whispering over and over to him.

_I'm sorry, so sorry..._

"Archie."

He winced and tore his gaze from Theresa as Persephone sighed and sat before him.

"Ignore Theresa. She has been doing this much longer than you have. It also comes much more naturally to her. You're doing well so far. Just remember to concentrate, and to breathe. Clear your mind," she chided him softly.

Archie sighed as his eyes fell closed, shifting with a grumble as he tried not to think about anything. Easier said than done, especially with that dream in the forefront of his mind. He also wasn't sure exactly why _he_ needed to do so much mental training; Theresa was the psychic after all, and they had been sharing dreams just fine without him concentrating on it all. Or even being aware of it. Last night's dream had been fuzzier than any of the others, and this was after weeks of meditation and mental focus techniques. Maybe this was making their connection worse?

A bolt of fear lanced through him at that thought. His one greatest fear was to lose her, whatever form that came in. He didn't want anything to stand between them, especially now. He could finally admit to himself that he wanted this woman, _Theresa, _in every way he could have her. A partner, a lover, a friend. Letting out a shaky breath, he focused his thoughts on her, on all the wonderful things that made her who she was. Everything that made him love her.

A tingling sensation ran down his spine.

* * *

Theresa sat, calm and still, her mind deeply centred within herself. She had pushed away all thoughts of the dreams, all other conscious thoughts held at bay. Her body went about its machinations: her breathing was steady, her heart beating normally, blood pumping through her veins.

All was quiet. All was dark.

Centred.

Peaceful.

She lingered there in that in-between state for a time, content with the reprieve from reality. Here there was nothing but the mechanics of her body separated from her being. Here there was no thought, just existence. Allowing her to disconnect from her body temporarily so that she could properly explore and expand her mental realm. Allowing her to focus her powers and direct them.

Her body registered the slightest of touches, her mind noted with some detachment; Persephone was signalling for her to return. Everyday she was going deeper and deeper in a bid to keep her powers from overwhelming her body. Waking became more and more difficult every time. She sighed and prepared herself for the ascent that would bring her back from the mental plane she was resting on, and fully return her to her body.

She paused.

A spark skittered through her mindscape.

Curious, she waited...

Another spark, sharper this time, fading faster.

Beckoning.

She turned and followed.

* * *

Archie felt himself getting closer to that elusive state of being Persephone kept coaching him to find. Though he had a feeling she might disagree with his methods. Concentrating on his breathing, he kept his thoughts in check. His mind was focused on Theresa, rather than being blank, but he felt calmer and more peaceful than he usually did in these sessions.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

So far, so good.

Persephone smiled briefly at Archie before her brows furrowed tightly. Theresa had yet to respond to her touch. Sitting in front of the girl, she watched worriedly as her face went blank, body freezing as her mind went deeper and deeper. Miniscule sparks skittered across her skin as it paled. All Persephone could do was wait.

* * *

Lightning flickered and crashed, yet all remained eerily silent as Theresa ghosted through this strange plane of existence. She could feel that she was still somewhat within herself, within partial confines of her own mind. And yet she felt she was also somewhat apart, set adrift upon a wave of pure mental energy. There was a dislocation, a sense of wanting to go further, but an inability to perceive the distance.

Was she at the source of her powers? Was this raw magick she was touching?

...was it Chaos?

Another spark skittered along her, warming her even though she had left her physical body far behind.

Behind...

...Persephone...hadn't she called?

Theresa hesitated, torn between going back and continuing on. A tantalizing whisper, a promise of power, but she could not comprehend. A heavy wrench of foreboding weighed her down suddenly.

A dark promise.

_Not yet, not yet._

_ Soon._

Fear stole through her then, and she retreated blindly, eager to get back to what she knew to be herself. She understood suddenly that she had gone too far, and she was horribly reminded of her dreams and all they represented. Theresa felt herself stumbling, flailing in the darkness. She could feel something beckoning, chanting her name. A consciousness from her reality.

Grabbing hold, she surged forward.

* * *

Persephone watched Theresa anxiously as the minutes ticked by with no discernible change in her outward appearance. She fretted, wanting to dive in and retrieve her student, but knowing that she couldn't. For all that Theresa's mind expanded far further than any other human's, the fact remained that she was still just a human. Persephone would tear her mind to shreds.

Her eyes flickered worriedly to Archie as he stiffened with a hoarse groan, clutching his head in pain as he fell backwards. Turning back, she gave a cry as Theresa's body toppled lifelessly to the floor. Scrambling over to the boy as he writhed on the floor, her hands wavered uselessly about her. Taking a deep breath she lay a hand gently on his arm and leaned down.

"Archie. Archie, come back. Tell Theresa to come back," she called out, commanding him.

"Come back."

* * *

Archie felt as though he were doing the mental equivalent of smashing into a tree and then rolling off a cliff into a lake of fire. Memories, thoughts and feelings crashed into him, tearing apart any flimsy mental barricades he had constructed over the last few weeks.

The pain was tremendous, searing through his skull, rendering him momentarily witless. The assault was overwhelming, and he clenched his teeth as he willed it to subside. Begged for it to stop. He caught a flash of a memory, of a father that wasn't _his_; felt a stab of panic and fear separate from his own flash through him.

_Theresa?_

His call was desperate and the overwhelming presence subsided somewhat, confusion replacing the panic. Archie's breath caught in his throat as he gasped shakily, pain creating tiny bursts of light in his eyes even as he pressed his palms against them uselessly. What was she doing to him?

A distant murmur reached through the pain and confusion, familiar and commanding.

"Come back."

Persephone. She was calling them back from...well from wherever and whatever was happening to them. Him and Theresa. She was still there with him, still frightened and confused.

..._Archie?_

He felt a violent shudder rip through him as her consciousness calmed and connected with his, forcing a ragged scream from his throat. The panic flared up again, and he felt close to blacking out. Gritting his teeth as he panted harshly, he called out to her again.

_Theresa. GO BACK!_

Theresa quailed momentarily, overwhelmed by the enormity of what she had just done. Instead of retreating back to her own body, her own domain, she had forced herself into Archie's! She panicked again as she tried to figure out how to leave, and leave fast. She was hurting him, badly.

A spark fluttered against her again, pulling away. Archie shuddered again as his being flinched away, unable to house such power as hers. Theresa jolted, feeling suddenly caged in as oblivion closed in, looming over her. Walls were closing in, a trap set to spring. One last defence from Archie's ravaged mind. Her sparks beckoned once more, leading back to familiarity.

She fled.

And fell, screaming, back into herself as the walls crashed down upon her, severing a wisp of her retreating mind. Spinning endlessly, she crashed down into unconsciousness, welcoming the empty, blank darkness with relief.

* * *

Persephone wrung her hands in dismay as she watched the two teens, Archie crying out and spasming in pain. The moments seemed to drag on for an eternity before his body finally went limp as he blacked out. She held her breath, fearing the worst.

Something moved in the corner of her eye, and she glanced over to Theresa to see her fingers twitch once, twice. Both of their chests moved gently, steady with each unconscious breath. Persephone slumped over in relief, heaving a tremulous sigh. She wasn't sure what had happened, what went wrong, but they were alive. It was the only thing she could be certain of at the moment. They had been doing so well for the last few weeks, and now this...

It seemed like an age before she heard them start to stir from their impromptu slumber. Archie groaned as he moved slightly, reaching up with one hand to cover his closed eyes. His head felt like he had drunk a forty of tequila and then head butted a steel door. Though he couldn't for the life of him figure out _why._ He was pretty damn certain he hadn't had anything to drink in far longer than he cared for. And it smelled to him like he was in...Persephone's solarium? There were roses and...lavender?

A soft whimper sounded next to him, and he forced himself to roll onto his side, cracking his eyes open painfully. Persephone quickly dimmed the lighting in the room, for which Archie was grateful. His vision blurred, and stayed no matter how much he blinked. He was fairly certain Theresa lay beside him, and he stretched out a hand toward her.

Theresa opened her eyes slowly, a queer sense of dislocation still settled about her. Pushing herself up, she moved shakily over to Archie. His eyes were open, she saw, but she knew he wasn't seeing her. Or much of anything. She bit her lip and grasped his hand, pressing it against her cheek. Archie sighed in relief and closed his eyes again, trying to ignore the pounding in his head.

A notion of apology brushed distantly through his mind, causing him to frown severely. Theresa was still there? Why was she still there? The searing pain was gone, but he still felt acutely uncomfortable. Just what the hell had she done?

Theresa felt her eyes begin to sting as she 'heard' Archie's thoughts and felt his confusion. She hadn't been able to leave completely. There was a connection forged between them, and she had a feeling it was going to remain permanent. She should have paid closer attention to where she was going! Or, even better, to the premonition she'd had in the bath those weeks ago, after graduation. She had felt something coming, something that would throw their fates together, but she had never thought-!

Archie sighed as he felt tears drip onto his hand and forced himself to sit up beside Theresa. Vertigo made him groan as he felt he world spin around him, even with his eyes closed, and he fought not to be sick. Winding his other hand through her hair, he rested his aching forehead against hers and simply breathed her in for a moment. The scent of lavender was soothingly familiar.

Her small hands slid to support his boneless, trembling body. Clearly her little foray into his mind had taken a far greater toll on him than it had on her. She could feel him there, in the back of her mind, and she tried to pull as far back as she could. She didn't want to risk overwhelming him again and causing him any more pain. Theresa glanced at Persephone as the goddess sat at Archie's other side, helping to keep him propped up.

"What happened?" she whispered softly. It didn't escape her that Archie still winced at the volume. Theresa shook her head.

"I don't know, I...I think I got lost?" she muttered quietly, rubbing Archie's back as he groaned.

_Think quieter, _he commanded. _It's twice as loud when you think it and speak it._

_ Sorry._

"And somehow I wound up in Archie's mind, and well. I think I'm stuck," Theresa whispered, trying to stay as quiet as possible. "Is there any way to fix this?"

"How far down did you go?" Persephone sat, stunned by this development. Worry brewed within her and she tried to remain calm.

"I don't know. All the way? I know what he's thinking, what he's feeling. There are memories..." Theresa shook her head slightly, trying not to intrude on Archie's privacy, even as thoughts flashed through her mind. Persephone hung her head a moment, taking a deep breath.

"There's nothing I can do to fix this that would not kill you both. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid this is permanent," Persephone murmured. Letting out a sigh, she stood. "I'm afraid I have to go let Hera know of this development. This...this could be more than a little troublesome."

"Of course," Theresa agreed faintly, watching as Persephone left. She had never seen the goddess so flustered, and it was a bit worrying to see her so. She could only imagine what Hera would have to say on the matter. Knowing the goddess, it would not be complimentary. She sometimes wondered if the she didn't consider them little more than pawns on a board rather than their saviours. A scowl crossed her face.

She blinked.

Those...were not her thoughts.

She glanced down at Archie who rested quietly in her arms. He cracked open an eye, and was relieved when his vision cleared somewhat. A nap would probably help even more...

Theresa rolled her eyes and helped him stand, walking slowly to their rooms. This sharing of thoughts would take some getting used to. So far it seemed that they didn't necessarily need _words_ in order to communicate; simply notions and whole ideas would suffice. She just hoped she wouldn't hurt him anymore.

With a sigh, he flopped down onto their bed, dragging her along with him. He wanted to be comfortable while he rested, which meant having Theresa wrapped up in his arms. He managed a weak grin as she flushed prettily. A memory came to him then, of a promise made on a beach so many nights ago...

_Whatever becomes of us...I will always be at your side..._

Theresa raised an eyebrow at him. Well, of course he would, _now._ She had pretty much ensured that he could never be with anybody else for the rest of his life, whether he wanted to or not. Archie rolled his eyes at her and tugged her closer, tucking her against his side. Like he even wanted to be with anybody else. Or hadn't she figured that out yet?

She scowled at him. The principle of the matter was that it all came down to _choice_, which she had effectively taken away from him. Archie sighed, then blinked. Neither of them had spoken a word, but they were definitely arguing. His lips twitched in amusement, and he let out a snort as Theresa whacked him with a pillow. Rolling over, he pinned her down and kissed her fiercely.

_Really? You're gonna try distracting me like this?_

_ Worked for you in the hot spring._

Theresa shoved at his chest, demanding to be let up. Archie groaned and buried his face in the crook of her neck, refusing to move. She huffed and squirmed around beneath him, trying to get more comfortable. His hand caught her hip, squeezing tightly as he tried to still her. Interesting thoughts were starting to meander through his mind, ones involving a lot more squirming and a lot less clothing. Theresa bit her lip and stopped moving, a whimper escaping her as a bolt of desire lanced through her belly. Her fingers dug into Archie's arm as her breath went ragged.

Ohhh, this could be troublesome indeed...

Archie agreed, though at the moment it seemed the pain in his head was going to win out. As much as he wanted to pursue this train of thought with her, she really had done a number on him when she gate crashed his brain. Theresa frowned, feeling horribly guilty about the whole mess. Archie shrugged and moved off to the side so they could sleep more comfortably. They could argue about this when he was better rested. They also needed to let the team know what was going on.

Jay was not going to be happy...

Theresa sighed and gently stroked Archie's still aching forehead.

_Sleep now. _

She watched as Archie drifted off, feeling a strange lethargy creeping over her. She herself was not tired, but she felt her mind slow and become unfocused. It seemed as though this merge affected her more than she would have thought, her being the dominant partner in this. She wondered if Archie would even be able to stay awake if she fell asleep, even if he was completely rested. Her eyelids felt heavy, and she fought back a yawn. She couldn't afford to sleep just then; she had spent enough of the past week doing just that.

Archie was right, she was sure Jay would not be happy. But she had a feeling that something more was happening with the gods, that they weren't sharing with the Seven. And that just might upset him even more. Clearly a team meeting was definitely in order. They had been out of touch with the others for far too long, and it was time for that to change. Hopefully before Hera got to them.

Theresa glanced down at Archie again, contemplating the sleeping man. She would let him rest for a short while, but they could not afford to lie abed all day. Things had been set in motion today, important things that would dictate what was to come.

Her eyes narrowed and burned as she tried to force a vision to come to her, hoping that since Archie was asleep, he wouldn't be affected. The edges of her vision went blue and she got that familiar sense of foreboding. She knew with a sudden certainty that this _was_ an important development; perhaps the catalyst for a change in the Fates design.

Theresa cursed silently as the vision faded away without properly coalescing. Whatever was happening, it seemed like they would remain in the dark for the time being. She just hoped they could continue to work things in their favour, for a little while longer at least. She didn't trust the Fates one bit; they could so easily change everything with one snip of their scissors. Cronus could win and they could all be killed. As nice as Elysium was, she had no desire to go there just yet.

Settling in to watch over Archie, she let her thoughts drift and tried not to worry overly much.

* * *

**A/N: **So, here we see the newest development between our erstwhile heroes. How will this effect them? What will Jay's reaction be? And just what do the gods have planned for them? All will be revealed in good times, my dear readers, as we come closer to the end of this journey. I'm thinking there are between 3 and 5 more chapters left before this story is finished. I'm going to try and wrap it up as quick as I can. I have, after all, been working on this fic for something like, 5 years? It's time for it to be done. Well, if you liked what you read in this chapter leave a review and let me know. All feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks everybody!


	15. Chapter the Fifteenth

**Chapter the Fifteenth**

Archie was being prodded awake. He was not happy with this development. Groaning, he rolled over, trying to escape the incessant poking. Burying his still aching head in a soft pillow, he was determined to wait it out.

Theresa looked down at Archie, bemused by his reaction to her. Truthfully, she hadn't touched him at all, attempting instead to give him a mental prod awake. It seemed to work, she just needed to poke harder. Archie was far too stubborn sometimes, just as she was. She smiled and draped herself across Archie's back. They were a good match then. Heaving a sigh, she settled more comfortably against her partner and reached up to play with his hair, beginning to chant in her mind.

_Archie, Archie, !_

Theresa shrieked as he exploded up out of the pillows, tossing her off his back. Grabbing the sheets to stop herself from flying off the bed, she chanced a look up at him. He knelt on the bed, murderous glare on his face as he threateningly held a pillow over his head.

"_What?_" he snarled. Theresa bit her lip to keep from laughing; he was so cute when he was all surly and had bedhead. She sat up beside him and tilted her head cutely. (At least she knew it was cute as soon as she did it, because that's how Archie saw it. Hmm. Helpful.)

_Time to wake up. How do you feel?_

Archie groaned and flopped back down to the bed, pillow tossed harmlessly to the side.

_Still pretty shitty, but not quite as bad. I can see now at least. Do I really have to get up?_

_ Yes. We need to talk to the others before Hera does. You don't trust her, and I'm suspicious myself. Jay needs to be told by _us_ what happened._

Archie heaved a very much put upon sigh, rubbing his face against the sheets. She was right of course; not that that made it any easier to get up. Propping himself up on his elbows he looked over at her, catching her gaze. There were so many other things he would rather be doing at the moment than getting up for a team meeting, no matter how important or overdue. Like sleeping for one thing. Or at least putting their enormous bed to good use...

He yelped as Theresa smacked him over the head with a pillow, her cheeks flushed scarlet.

_Mind out of the gutter please. Now is not the time for those kinds of thoughts. UP!_

Archie chuckled as Theresa left the bed, both of them knowing he would do as she bid momentarily. Shaking his head, he let himself take a few minutes to have a very good stretch and work out some of the kinks in his muscles. The pain wasn't as bad, but he still felt achy all over, like when they had a long workout. He would have to soak in the hot spring after, maybe see if Theresa would rub his shoulders...?

He smirked and finally got out of bed as she sent him an agreeable thought, along with a promise of certain other activities if he was a good boy and hurried up now. Slipping on his sandals, he shuffled over to the door where Theresa stood waiting. Arching an eyebrow at him, she let him wrap an arm about her waist and give her a quick kiss before tugging at his arm to get him moving. Smirking down at her, he kept his arm around her as they walked down the hall toward the team dining room.

_Will they all be there?_

He eyed Theresa as she frowned in concentration. She gave a sharp nod.

_Most of them are there now, or on their way. Odie is just around the corner._

Sure enough, as they turned the corner, they spotted Odie coming from another hallway that led to Hephaestus' workshop. Archie raised a hand in greeting.

"Hey Odie. You going to lunch?" he called. The younger boy paused, waiting for them to catch up. The pair noticed his quick glance at Archie's arm and the way they stood together, before giving them both a large smile.

"Yup, decided to take a quick break, stretch my legs. Are you guys heading there too? We haven't seen you two around at all," Odie said hopefully, walking beside Theresa as they moved down the hall. Apparently he wasn't about to say anything about their comfortable closeness, which suited Archie just fine. If the rest of the team took it in stride like that, this would be an easy day!

Theresa shot him a dubious glance, and he shrugged back at her. He didn't really expect it, but it would be nice.

"Yes, we're heading there ourselves. There have been some...developments...that we need to discuss with everyone," Theresa answered Odie. She hid a smile as he tried to give them a covert look over, eyes once again lingering on Archie's arm.

"You don't say," Odie mused wryly. Archie grinned down at him and gave Theresa a quick squeeze.

"In more than one way, O.," he smirked. The younger boy just shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. As far as he was concerned, it was about time _something_ happened between _anyone_ on the team. Granted, at the beginning of all this, he thought it might be Jay and Theresa, or Atlanta and Archie. He gave a mental shrug. Funny how things turned out sometimes...

Theresa and Archie shared another look as they followed Odie into the dining room. That was one down; four more to go. Seeing that the other four were already seated at the table and had noticed their entrance, Theresa pulled away from Archie to seat herself across from Jay. Their Leader looked tired and somewhat resigned, the normal hints of jealousy faded from his eyes. A curious anger and suspicion filled them now, though Theresa did not feel it was directed at either herself or Archie. She wondered just what had happened to cause such a look, and felt guilty for being so separated from her family for so long. The gods were unreasonable, keeping them apart like this.

Archie sat beside her, giving her shoulder a squeeze. That was why they were here, now; it was what they came to discuss in the first place. Otherwise, he noted, he would still be in bed. Theresa refrained from physically rolling her eyes, but sent him the mental equivalent. She could feel him pouting in return. Clearing her throat, she caught Jay eye.

"Jay. We need to speak. All of us," she said quietly, immediately capturing everyone's attention. Even Herry paused, hand caught in the bread basket. Her words were innocuous enough, but her tone brooked no room for argument.

"Yes. We do," Jay agreed just as quietly. The room acquired a certain chill, and Neil tried not to shudder. Things had just gone from normal to incredibly tense in seconds; he wondered if they would ignore him if he just didn't move...Atlanta gave him a harsh poke and glared menacingly at him. This was no time to be acting like an idiot. Even if it felt like the world was going to explode at any second. Theresa just nodded calmly as Archie helped himself to the food, serving the both of them. She gestured toward her Leader.

"Please. You first," she smiled invitingly, earning her more than a few raised eyebrows. Only Archie did not react, though considering he had an inside view of her thought processes, he knew exactly what moves she was going to make.

He suddenly realized he would probably never be able to play any type of game against her that relied on actual skill and strategy, rather than blind luck. A mental shove from her quickly got him back on track, listening to what Jay had to say while he slowly picked at his food.

Jay sighed roughly as he regarded his team members, having a fair idea of at least some of what they wanted to discuss. He had seen them walk in, wrapped up in one another. And while there had been a slight flare of jealousy, it was slight and buried very deeply. More of the type that lent itself towards generalities than specifics. He didn't think he was jealous of Archie having Theresa, any longer. More, jealous of the relationship itself. Herry was a great partner, but only in so many ways. He shook his head tiredly, wondering when his thoughts had run off into tangents. They had business to discuss.

"We haven't seen the pair of you in over three weeks," he began slowly, trying to keep his voice neutral. "When I asked Hera if we might have some training time with you, as we've had with each other, she refused. She said that it would disrupt the training methods that the gods had in place for us. Given that the rest of the team has trained together, and with each others mentors, I find it hard to believe that you would truly be that disrupted. I find myself wondering if there isn't something more going on, that she might not want us to know about."

Only Archie was eating now. Atlanta bit her lip as she leaned into Neil, remembering how they had disobeyed orders to spy on Archie and Theresa. And the aftermath of that little adventure. Herry seemed to have lost his appetite for once as tension coiled in his belly, listening to the slightly threatening undertones of Jay's speech. He had spent many weeks in close quarters with the other boy, and had become quite adept at figuring out what Jay really meant when he spoke. Their Leader could speak in many layers when he wanted to, and right now Herry got the feeling that while Jay was suspicious of the pair before them, he was more suspicious of the gods themselves.

"Truly, it would be a reprieve to be able to train with the rest of you. Persephone and Ares push us quite hard. A little too hard, some might say," Theresa glanced slyly at Archie from the corner of her eye. He rolled his eyes and scowled softly at her, gesturing for her to get on with it. She smiled and dipped her head in acknowledgement. "Unfortunately, it appears the gods wished to focus on how best to turn us into a weapon, rather than how for us to grow in order to better aid the team overall."

"How so?" Jay furrowed his brow. That did not sound very promising, and he felt a surge of irrational anger towards the Olympians. A thought had been brewing in his mind, a wondering about just how far the Olympians were willing to go in order to win this war...

Odie sat back, feeling as though he were watching a tennis match rather than a team discussion. Not that there was much of the team involved; only Jay and Theresa were conversing, though Archie seemed to be somehow giving Theresa input, if their shared looks were anything to go by. Not for the first time he found himself wondering about the feasibility of them surviving, let alone winning, this war they had been caught up in.

"By treating her like a freaking science experiment instead of a human being, that's how," Archie snorted crossly, earning him a Look from his partner. Which he, of course, duly ignored. "They figured out how to get her to manifest all that psychic energy into physical form, and control it as a weapon. Only, they only see the benefits of it. And not the consequences."

"Which are?" Jay demanded sternly, eyeing Theresa unhappily. He knew it, he knew that the gods were messing around with his team!

"It's killing her," Archie answered bluntly. He watched carefully as Jay froze, his jaw clenching tightly. He could see the other man's knuckles going white, his nostril flaring in anger, and wondered if they would actually see Jay finally just lose it.

Jay felt his vision narrow as he tried to focus on breathing and remaining calm. It would do them no good to go off half cocked, and scream at the gods for their manipulations and machinations. They were only mortals after all; it's what the gods _did._ They had done it with their ancestors, and they would do so again with the Seven. Not that Jay had to _like it_, not _one damn bit!_ Lowering his head, he forced himself to relax his clenched fists, feeling more than seeing Herry's concerned gaze. Flattening his palms against the table, he raised his eyes to meet Theresa's once more.

Her gaze was calm and unyielding; at first glance she looked fine. But upon closer scrutiny, Jay could see the shadows beneath her eyes; the paleness of her skin and how tight her features seemed. He glanced over at Archie, quickly assessing the other man. He too looked far from healthy, a lingering pain evident in his eyes; he kept squinting against the bright flashes of light that the plates threw off. Jay's anger was quickly being matched by his guilt; he should have _insisted_ on having access to all his team members. Then maybe he could have prevented at least some of what he saw before him.

_Damn the gods. Damn Cronus. Damn them all to the deepest pits of Tartarus._

"Jay? There's more," Theresa quietly broke his thoughts. He resisted the urge to snort ruefully and merely raised an eyebrow at her, urging her to continue. "It's true what Archie said; manifesting that type of energy in such a way takes a toll on my body. It wasn't built to withstand that kind of force, and so it breaks more easily. But I think Archie and I may have inadvertently put a hitch in whatever plan the gods were thinking of."

"You could say that. We had a bit of an accident in training earlier today. And by a bit, I mean one hugely colossal fuck up," Archie huffed, leaning back against the large throw pillows. _No offense, but it was a bit of an oopsie we had there. _Theresa bit back a smile, knowing that it was not his intent to hurt her with his words.

"Dare I even ask?" Jay sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He could definitely feel a headache of his own coming on.

"It seems I...accidentally...entered Archie's mind. We were meditating earlier today, and I got lost. I latched onto Archie, a bit too tightly it seems. Persephone's says it irreversible and permanent," Theresa explained gently, watching Jay for signs of an imminent break down. "Archie and I are telepathically connected now."

Jay shook his head, dazedly sitting back to look at them. Archie and Theresa shared a glance while the rest of the team held their breaths, waiting for a reaction out of their Leader. Herry was slightly confused by it all; Odie was contemplating whether or not it would be rude to ask to study them; Neil was trying, and failing, to contain his inner glee that the two of them were finally together, and _stuck_ that way to boot; and Atlanta was biting her lip as she clung to Neil, feeling slightly off kilter at this revelation, unsure of how to react.

"Huh. Well, that's a new twist, isn't it," Jay muttered, absentmindedly scratching his chin. A collective feeling of disbelief coloured the room at this understatement, and Neil actually let his head fall into his palm with a disgruntled sigh. "So...how does this affect the gods, exactly?"

"Because we don't know how this will affect _Archie_. If even my body can't handle the pressure of my naturally occurring powers, I don't think Archie will be able to take very much of it," Theresa mused, Archie nodding along with her.

"I don't know if the gods are quite that desperate yet. I hope they aren't, 'cause it fucking hurts whenever her powers touch me. I don't wanna be rendered brain dead in this war, thank you very much," Archie continued. Theresa smirked at him.

_And that would differ from now, how, exactly...?_

Archie scowled at her, coating his thought processes in a heavy layer of sarcasm.

_Ahahaha, you're just soooo funny._

Theresa simply gave him an arch little look, nose tilting up in the air.

_ I know._

"Are...you guys...you know, doing it right now?" Odie interrupted them, a hungrily curious look on his face. Archie snorted and fell over laughing.

_Damn, but I wish we were!_

Theresa smacked him with a pillow. Hard. With a resounding thud.

"If by that, you mean speaking to one another, then yes. Archie has a rather filthy mind sometimes," she glared down at him.

"Oh come on Terri! Are we 'doing it'? I mean hey, for all we know we could mentally do any number of things. Things that could be referred to as 'it'," Archie propped himself up on an elbow, waggling his eyebrows outrageously at her. Odie flushed as he realized his poor choice of words.

"I didn't mean-! I mean, that's not-! Sorry!" he cringed, embarrassed, as Archie hooted with laughter. Theresa gave him a warm smile and shook her head.

"It's alright Odie. Some of us here are mature enough to understand what you actually meant," she said pointedly. Archie just waved dismissively at her, preferring to have a good laugh. She pursed her lips and gave Odie an apologetic glance. "If you'll excuse us a minute."

_Archie, will you shut up? Honestly, you're embarrassing poor Odie!_

_ Hey, you got to have a damn good laugh last night. Which reminds me, what did you find so damn funny?_

_ None of your business. Now shut up!_

_ Hmm...is that...Cronus? And are we...HA! Yeah I can see why you found it so funny!_

_ Archie! Stop snooping, damn it. I'm trying to shame you into silence here!_

_ Pfft, that ain't gonna work beautiful. I have no shame._

_ Oh really? That's some very lovely poetry you have floating around in the back of your mind. Did you write it yourself? For a certain...Mindy Jones?_

_ ...Theresa, I was twelve! So not cool!_

The rest of the team sat round the table watching in fascination the pair before them. Archie's laughter slowly died out , the expressions on his face ranging from curiosity, to delight, to superiority, to finally a combination of anxiety and embarrassment covered by a sort of blustering outrage. Theresa meanwhile had started off looking rather annoyed and frustrated, but now she sat with her arms crossed, a smug look on her face as she grinned down at Archie. He gave her a mighty scowl, but relented with a huff and turned away from her. She let out a delighted laugh and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek, satisfied that she had won that round.

"That's gonna take some getting used to," Herry shook his head, and reached out to refill his plate. Truth be told, it was slightly creepy to see them having a completely silent conversation. Oh sure, they could all communicate with looks and gestures alone if they had, but those two were carrying on a full conversation. Really, argument, from the looks of it. Without saying a damn thing aloud, except to laugh. Creepy. Sweet that they were all together and stuff now, but still. _Creepy._

"Yeah, just wait until she starts reading_ your _minds too. That's when it's gonna get _weird_," Archie shuddered, vaguely wondering if it would be possible for them all to be linked together in some type of strange, Vulcan like mind meld. Theresa gave him a nonplussed look and shrugged. Anything was possible, she supposed, but she wasn't about to start trying. At least, not at the moment. Archie raised an eyebrow back at her. So, she might consider the possibility. Interesting.

"They're doing it again," Neil stage whispered, not bothering to hide the ridiculous grin on his face. Theresa shrugged and gave a self-deprecating laugh.

"Sorry, can't really help it. We don't need words to communicate, so conversations go a lot faster in our minds," she said. "And don't worry, I don't plan on invading any other minds, any time soon."

"For which I am sure we are all grateful," Jay dryly commented. His gaze flickered to Archie. "You said it was killing her?"

The momentarily uplifted spirit in the room plummeted at those words, a stony, chilled silence replacing it.

"Yes."

"No."

Theresa and Archie glared at one another at their contradictory words, stubbornly disagreeing on the matter. Jay scowled at the both of them, his patience clearly at its rather considerable limits. Smacking a hand down sharply on the table to get their attention, he decided to ignore Theresa and focus on Archie.

"Archie. You said it was killing her. Is it really that bad; and if so, what are we going to do about it?" he demanded, glaring and holding up a hand to forestall any arguments from Theresa. "I want to hear Archie's opinion first."

It was a startling thing, Archie decided, seeing Jay well and truly angry. He couldn't remember it ever happening before, not to this level. And certainly not towards Theresa. Oddly enough, he felt his respect for his Leader go up a few notches. And felt relieved that Jay would actually take this as seriously as he did; Theresa certainly didn't seem inclined to do so, he noted derisively. Sending that little thought off to her, he crossed his arms with a frown.

"Theresa may not seem to think it's that serious, but then, she's generally rendered _unconscious_ when it happens, so," Archie said pointedly, ignoring the scathing look his partner sent him. "It wasn't so bad at first, the pain. A few muscle cramps, nausea and vomiting, that kind of thing. But it's been getting progressively worse the more she pushes. This last time she was coughing up blood and ruptured her spleen. Not to mention all the nerve damage she gets from the electric currents that run through her body when she, for lack of a better term, 'powers up'.

She gets sporadic full body cramps, and her heart has some kind of arrhythmia now. Chiron does a pretty good job of patching her up, but he can only do so much. And her body keeps accumulating scar tissue each time it happens. That's not healthy. What worries me is what if she pushes too hard one day, and has a seizure, or a stroke? We're dealing with something that nobody has ever seen before, something we can't predict."

"We're also fighting in a war that's just as unpredictable. Maybe I'm willing to take those chances if it means giving us an edge over Cronus," Theresa broke in, wanting to argue her side. Archie snorted disdainfully.

"Yeah? Well maybe I'm not. Maybe _this team_ is not willing to take those risks," Archie spat vehemently. He gestured towards the others. "I mean, I know we haven't really acted like a team in who knows how long, but the fact remains that the decision is not yours alone to make, Theresa. And what happens if we _are _in the middle of a fight, and suddenly your body decides not to cooperate with you? Huh? That just makes you more of a liability than anything!"

"Well, it doesn't look like it really matters anymore, now does it? Not with you stuck in my head! I can't even have a damn vision anymore!" Theresa cried, throwing up her hands.

"And whose fault is that?" Archie sneered at her. He could feel her anger mixing with his, a tremendous force simmering below the surface. It was tempered only by the fact that she could feel his underlying concern and genuine fear for her; he didn't want to hurt her, he just wanted to make her _realize_ the danger she was putting herself in. And by extension, the rest of them.

"Time out, you two," Jay interrupted sternly. The headache he had felt building was full on throbbing now, and he hadn't even spoken to Hera yet. He rubbed at his forehead tiredly, not for the first time wishing that this was all a bad dream that he had yet to wake up from.

"So, to recap: Theresa is injuring herself each time she uses her powers, getting exponentially worse. It could potentially put the rest of the team at risk. But, for the time being and as far as we know, it has been rendered null and void due to complications of some kind of mental smash up with Archie. Sound about right?" Jay recited, ticking off points on his fingers. Archie and Theresa both grudgingly nodded in agreement, having crossly turned away from one another.

Jay sighed harshly, rubbing a weary hand over his face. He was exhausted; mentally, emotionally, physically...this war was draining in every possible way, and he just wished for it to be over. Glancing around at his team, he could see that drain mirrored in each of their faces. There was an age to them now that had not been present two years ago, a heaviness that simple maturity alone could not account for. Even Neil had a certain graveness now that sometimes tempered his natural inclinations toward levity in the face of adversity, startlingly enough.

Putting on what Jay liked to think of as his "Leader" face, he stood and gazed down at his team.

"Alright, that's it. Training is cancelled for the rest of the day, for all of us. I want us to spend the rest of the day together, away from the gods and just relaxing," he decided.

"Oh thank god," Archie groaned, letting his head drop into his hands. He waved one of them slightly. "Well, thank Jay, actually, but you know what I mean. I feel like shit. Can we go relax in the hot springs?"

"Ooo, yes, please can we?" Neil piped up, eager to get in on the hot spring action that he had been unfairly missing until now.

"Who has a hot spring?" Herry wondered, standing up and stretching. A loud crack came from his back and he sighed in relief.

"We do. A fact which Neil is quite jealous of," Theresa smirked at the blond, who pouted back at her.

"Damn right I am. So, let's go," he hopped up and made shooing motions towards the doors. Atlanta rolled her eyes and gave him a poke.

"Bathing suits, Neil. We might need them," she pointed out sarcastically. "At least, I know I want one."

"Just for you? I know I am irresistibly gorgeous, but Atlanta, you naughty girl," Neil grinned teasingly at her, enjoying the flush working its way over her cheeks. He couldn't tell if it was embarrassment or anger, though he was good with either one. She gave him a hard shove out the door.

"I swear Neil, one of these days..." she grumbled threateningly and followed after him.

"Ah, I see you don't deny it!" Neil laughed. The rest of the team shook their heads. Neil definitely had an unimaginable streak of good luck, to be able to get away with teasing Atlanta as much as he did on a regular basis. Theresa laughed and looked to the rest of the boys.

"We'll met you guys at our room, then," she smiled, happy to be able to spend some quality time with her friends. They all nodded and parted ways, assuring the pair they would be there in a few minutes. Archie grabbed Theresa's hand as they walked back to their rooms, hoping that she wasn't too angry with him. She just sighed and gave his hand a squeeze. She might be angry, but his reasoning _was _justifiable. It was difficult to mad with somebody for caring about you, try as she might.

And he honestly wasn't trying to hurt her with his comments, he just wanted her to see his view on what was happening to them. If anything did happen in the middle of a battle, he knew he would be completely distracted by what was happening to her, and not paying attention to the battle at hand. If he was even able to retain consciousness if something happened to her. They just couldn't tell what would happen in any circumstances now. And even Theresa had to admit it was a terrifying prospect, when thought of in those terms. She didn't much care what happened to her, but if something should happen to Archie...?

Slipping into their rooms, she pulled him to a stop and tugged him down towards her, lips meeting in a gentle kiss. She was sorry for being so stubborn, and for worrying him so much. The desperation for this war to be over was beginning to take a serious toll on her mental health. Archie slipped his arms around her waist, tugging her closer in acceptance. Giving her a squeeze, he tugged her into their bedroom.

_Hot springs are calling my name. And I believe I was promised a shoulder rub?_

Theresa laughed as they both went looking for their bathing suits, changing quickly as they waited for the rest of their friends. Grabbing a stack of towels as Archie slipped into the water, she paused for a moment to admire how far he had come in battling his fear of water. She could see the tips of his ears flushing with embarrassed pride as she sent that little thought along to him. A knock at the door forestalled any further comments, and Theresa went to let their friends in.

Neil flashed her a bright grin as he sauntered in, clad in obnoxiously bright blue board shorts. Atlanta followed casually after him, chatting quietly with Odie, as Jay and Herry filed in after them.

"Come on in guys. Welcome to our humble abode," Theresa grinned warmly, gesturing them further in as she shut the door behind them. "Archie's already in the springs. It's just through the bedroom; I'm just going to make some tea. Neil, will you give me a hand?"

The blond pouted, as he would much rather be jumping into the hot springs at that very moment, but he was a master of making tea. And he would not let his team mates down!

"Fine," he sighed dramatically and followed the red head into the kitchenette. He could hear the low exclamations of his other team mates as they too saw the enormous bed for the first time, and wondered at the expression on Jay's face at that very moment. Theresa shot him a stern look and he raised in hands in surrender. He quirked an eyebrow at her. "So...you _can't _read anybody else's mind, right?"

"No Neil, only Archie's. Though, it's not exactly difficult to read your _face_ sometimes," she smirked at him, pulling out her tea things. "Like earlier in the lunchroom. You were practically glowing with inner glee. Not very subtle."

"Well, I wasn't really going for subtle I suppose," he shrugged, measuring out tea leaves. He shot her a tentative glance. "How are you feeling? After last week, I mean, and well, now this..."

Theresa paused to give Neil an admiring glance, remembering what Archie said about Neil carrying her to their rooms, despite her being covered in filth. About how he and Atlanta had been spying on them, and then stayed while Chiron tended to her, worried all the while.

"I'm feeling much better, thank you Neil," she smiled softly. Neil shrugged nonchalantly, leaning against the counter as they water for the water to boil.

"Good, good. I know Atlanta was pretty worried, about the both of you," he said, attempting to affect an air of indifference. He didn't fool Theresa. She deftly changed the subject.

"I'm sorry for that. How have the two of you been? It has been awhile since we've all talked. You two are still getting along?" Theresa gave him an innocent smile; it caused the hair on the nape of his neck to stand on end.

"Oh we're fine, just fine," Neil answered breezily, waving a hand at her. "You know, we fight still, but it's not really _fighting_, you know? She's actually a lot of fun to be around."

"Mmm. Still have two beds then?" she smirked mischievously, biting back a laugh as Neil shot her a scandalized look.

"Well, I never! And what about you and Archie, hmm? I'm sure you don't actually use most of that bed. At least not to keep the two of you apart," he smirked at her. She shook her head.

"Oh no you don't, we're talking about you and Atlanta. And you never answered my question," she retorted, stacking the teapot and cups onto a tray. Neil pushed her gently aside and grabbed it himself with a sigh.

"Yes, we still have two beds. No, I don't see that changing in the foreseeable future," he rolled his eyes, feeling very put upon. He bit his lip as they moved into the bedroom, pausing before the bathroom door. He could hear the rest of the team talking and splashing, Atlanta's bright laughter ringing out. He gave Theresa a beseeching look.

"I...I think she's...my best friend, Theresa. And I don't want to ruin that," he murmured softly, a look of innocent confusion in his eyes. Theresa had to hold herself back from smothering him in a tight embrace, a rush of familial love overtaking her for a moment. She felt Archie send an enquiring thought to her; he must have felt it too. Shaking her head, she gave Neil a smile.

"I won't say anything," she promised. Neil gave her a bright, somewhat wobbly grin and straightened up, overwhelming self-confidence flooding back to suffuse his whole demeanour. With a nod, he opened the bathroom door and swaggered in, cheerfully calling out to his friends. Theresa followed after, a secretive smile lighting her features when Archie gave her a curious look. She shook her head and shut the door, trying not to think about the conversation she and Neil had just shared. She wasn't sure how much she could keep secret from Archie, but she could try.

Pausing for a moment there in the doorway, she watched her friends laughing together, splashing and teasing one another as they let the tension flow from their bodies. Moments like this had become a rare thing indeed, far too rare for her liking. Her heart tugged in her chest and with a soft smile she took a step forward to join them.

Her vision doubled suddenly, splitting in front of her in a way she had never encountered before. She froze, watching different futures play out in her mind; a thousand outcomes for every minute choice made, that would be made and for every choice that wasn't made. The future was in flux around her and she tried to grab onto the threads, to follow them down until they were clear; but they were too entangled with one another, a giant knot that would only be unwound with Time. Time and choice, the fate of everything resting on one decision.

Her sight snapped back into focus just as suddenly as it had gone out, leaving her with a headache and a pounding heart. She noticed Archie rubbing his head with a grimace, and let out a trembling breath. He was fine, he was safe.

For now.

Theresa shuddered and tried to brush aside the apprehension that crept through her veins and walked on weak legs to join her friends. The future would keep for now. She just wanted this- one more moment of bliss, one more afternoon of love and companionship. The calm before the storm. Peace before the war.

It would see her through.

* * *

**A/N: **Well, would you look at that? An update! Madness! This chapter gave me a TON of trouble, so I hope anybody who reads it enjoys it a little. Lol, if anybody is still reading it. I know there may be a couple of you out there! And I love you for it. At least it's only been 6 months and not a couple years since the last update. Holy crap on a cracker I really need to finish this story.


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